Appreciation: The act of recognizing someone’s worth as a person or showing that you are grateful for something that person has done.  Cambridge Dictionary

2 Thessalonians 1:3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers,^[a] as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing

“What do you say?” my mom would ask me as she held tightly onto whatever it was I wanted at that particular moment. “Thank you” I would answer, knowing that with those “magic words” as she called them would allow me to finally possess whatever it was I had asked her for at the time. The reason behind Mom’s training was her attempt to pass on to me not only a modicum of politeness but also an attitude of thankfulness and appreciation.

Serving Communion at Nursing Home

That appreciation is often missing from our lives because as adults, we often rush off with things in our hands that we haven’t paused to even look at yet alone appreciate. We give a quick kiss or a hug to our loved ones then too eagerly hurry off to the activities of the day with scarcely a backward glance. “Great tuna casserole!” I said to my wife one night, only to hear her laugh in reply, “Honey that’s chicken! Don’t you even taste the food you eat?” That small conversation is a sad reflection of the ease with which as we speed through our days we are losing the small graces of gratitude, thankfulness and appreciation.

Maybe we could ask ourselves three questions as we begin yet another day.

Do I really need to hurry?

Have I remembered to say thank you for what God has put in my hand?

Have I tasted what I have been given and truly appreciated those who gave?