TY!
That’s not a shortened nickname for my friend Tyler.
If you communicate by text message, you have likely either sent or received “ty” as a message. (Because actually typing the complete two words “thank you” is incredibly time consuming and labor intensive).
Because I’m “one of those people” (you know who we are), I’ve created a keyboard shortcut that works on all my devices so that when I type “ty” it automatically corrects to “Thank you!”
If you send me a “ty” I’ll know what you mean, but I’ll silently judge you as much as if you send “k” instead of “ok.”
I’m real judgy like that.
We have a holiday coming up here in the good ol’ US of A that is the most abbreviated of all the biggies, so Happy T-giving, ya’ll! Let’s eat!
The older I get, the more I want to linger over the “Thanks” part of Thanksgiving.
Make no mistake, I enjoy the food, family, and football. I’m looking forward to being together with our kids, grands, and extended family for the feast.
And I have no intention of making everyone wait while I wax eloquent over all our blessings.
I just want to spend a little extra time—personally—of unhurried reflection and gratitude in a time when we have constant reminders of the challenges that exist in the world.
There is so much brokenness and division that it is easy to become discouraged, cynical, or angry.
I don’t really know what the world was like for Johnson Oatman in 1897. I know that he was 41 years old, had been in partnership with his father in the mercantile business, and was a part time preacher.
And I know that he wrote these words:
“When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.”
I grew up singing that song and I know that I have, on many occasions, had my perspective changed by intentionally reflecting in specific and unhurried gratitude.
Could it be that our attitudes and perspectives on life are largely determined by where we choose to focus? (That may or may not have been a rhetorical question).
The Thanksgiving season gives us an opportunity to shift our focus. A day or two off from work may give us time for that unhurried reflection.
I hope so.
But what about the rest of the time?
I’ve done something for years with my family. I’ll call it the “That is all” message.
It’s a quick text pause in a moment in the middle of an ordinary day that says something like, “I love you. I’m proud of you. That is all.”
No response is required and everyone can get back to their day in progress. But I can’t write it without meaning it. It just doesn’t happen.
So maybe there are times when we don’t have the time to sit and count our blessings one by one, but we have time to recognize that God is with us even in the messy middle of life.
And we can breathe a simple prayer: Thank you. That is all.
Be amazing today, my friend.
