A Heartfelt Thank You

Each year, as is the practice for many Christians, I make a sacrifice for Lent in an effort to bring myself closer to Christ and his ultimate sacrifice of love. Other than close family and a few friends, I tend to keep my Lenten resolutions to myself. This year, I have decided to share my personal journey with you.


A couple of months ago, Brad had a conversation with his mom regarding his brother. Brad and I have asked Bruce to do a lot of things for us over the past few years that are the direct result of some unfortunate decisions on our part. Mainly, we bought a house in one place, got jobs in another and then could not sell said house. Bruce has helped us maintain the property. From the conversation with his mom, Brad got the impression that Bruce felt like he was being used. Whether that is how Bruce feels or felt, I don't know, but it did get me thinking.


Bruce has been very helpful, someone that Brad and I appreciate having in our lives. I realized that our appreciation for him and sincere gratitude has not been adequately expressed. I decided then that I needed to send him a thank you card. And, more importantly, this would be a card from me, not "Brad and Tiffany."


The idea to send the thank you card came a few weeks before Lent. As Lent approached and I prayed on what I should "give up" or "take on," I decided that a Thank You project would be my Lenten resolution. Forty Thank Yous in Forty Days. In my lifetime, there are people that have made their impact - both great and small - and I want to express my gratitude for them. What better time to start than right now? The old saying of "why put off for tomorrow what could be done today" comes to mind.


As a part of my Lenten resolution, I am blogging about my experience. I want to share this with others for two reasons. Mainly, I want to publicly give thanks to all the individuals who have helped shape my life through their good deeds, talents, thoughtfulness and selflessness. The second reason is a little more altruistic. I am hoping that someone will read this and decide to thank someone that has affected their lives in a positive way. I have heard it said that "I'm sorry" and "I was wrong" are two of the hardest expressions to say; I would argue that "thank you" is on that list.


Let us take a moment to express our thanks and appreciation for the people in our lives. We wouldn't be where we are or who we are without them. And so, my project begins ...