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Expressing Thanks

Habits & Routines

26 Feb

Oh, dear. I forgot to write a thank you note, former procrastinators.  I forgot because I positioned myself to forget by not writing it immediately.  I put if off.   I found my reminder in a small temporary pile.  I should’ve dropped it in my hot file so I would find it on the day I planned to write it.  I should’ve written a reminder in my planner.

Writing thank you notes is a gracious and meaningful thing to do. When we take the time to actually handwrite simple words of appreciation to someone, they know we value them and what they’ve done for us.

To make it easier, we can position ourselves to write notes by having a small stash of cards or paper, some stamps, and a pen in a handy drawer. We don’t need to be perfect in our words or penmanship.  Brief is fine.  We put off writing such notes when we wait for a quiet afternoon in front of the fire with a vase of daffodils and a cup of tea beside us.  Actually, if I write the note standing at the kitchen counter, the thoughts are fresh, the thanks are real, and the job is done.  Done is better than perfect, as someone reminded me.

Occasionally people give us gifts, bring us a meal, or treat us to an outing, and we are grateful. But there are other people who give to us on a regular basis and we often forget to even notice them.  It’s unusual for us to speak or wave, so we rarely express gratitude.

How about clerks and receptionists, the mailman, recycle and garbage men, the hospitality committee at church, the paper boy, the shoe shine person, the bathroom attendant, the parking lot attendant, lawn people, housekeepers and maintenance men at home or work. Yes, most of these are in paid jobs, but they are folks like us whose hearts are warmed when they are noticed and thanked.  How hard to feel invisible as you serve others.  We can not only see them, we can express our genuine thanks by speaking to them or by also handing them a note.

Two groups I especially appreciate are bathroom attendants and garbage men. The ladies in the bathroom are doing a job most of us prefer to avoid, and they rarely get to look out a window.  Yet their work makes a more pleasant day for every woman who passes through that space. Have you lived where garbage piles up inviting rodents and other disease carriers into the neighborhood? Instead, we are privileged.  Rain or snow, our collection men are out there making our towns healthier and more attractive.

So let’s write those notes …and also notice the everyday faithful folks who serve us. Let’s develop a habit of expressing thanks.

Who will you thank this week for their service to you? How will you do it?

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BETH STERNE
Welcome! It's great to have you here. I'm a follower of Christ and a learner of new ways. By His grace, I am gaining victory over procrastination. This is where I share struggles I face and lessons I'm learning. Join me and other sisters as we put off procrastination and put on peace.

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“I never saw myself as a procrastinator until her talk – I just thought of myself as productively busy! She helped me to gain new focus on what my priorities really are.”

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“I never saw myself as a procrastinator until her talk – I just thought of myself as productively busy! She helped me to gain new focus on what my priorities really are.”
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"Beth’s procrastination talk led me to understand procrastination as a heart issue in need of God’s restoration not just a change of my ways. Beth’s personal experiences helped me discover practical ways to attack my own procrastination. As a result I have become a more loving wife, mother and friend who is able to use the gifts God has given me more fully. I highly endorse this talk and would love to hear it again and again."

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Julia F.

"Beth’s procrastination talk led me to understand procrastination as a heart issue in need of God’s restoration not just a change of my ways. Beth’s personal experiences helped me discover practical ways to attack my own procrastination. As a result I have become a more loving wife, mother and friend who is able to use the gifts God has given me more fully. I highly endorse this talk and would love to hear it again and again."
https://putoffprocrastination.com/testimonials/julia-f/
“Beth’s presentation on procrastination was truly eye-opening. I knew I had a problem with procrastination, but never thought twice about how it impacted my relationships and showed God that I wasn’t onboard with His plan. I began to see each instance took away from being fruitful; I was living for myself! After this revelation, I have been working on procrastinating less. I can see places opening up in my life for more peaceful moments, more time with and for friends and family, and more time for God’s plan to unfold. It’s amazing to know there’s more to life for me than a life full of “should haves” as a result of procrastination.”

Carole S.

Beth Sterne - Put Off Procrastination
2018-08-16T14:42:59-04:00

Carole S.

“Beth’s presentation on procrastination was truly eye-opening. I knew I had a problem with procrastination, but never thought twice about how it impacted my relationships and showed God that I wasn’t onboard with His plan. I began to see each instance took away from being fruitful; I was living for myself! After this revelation, I have been working on procrastinating less. I can see places opening up in my life for more peaceful moments, more time with and for friends and family, and more time for God’s plan to unfold. It’s amazing to know there’s more to life for me than a life full of “should haves” as a result of procrastination.”
https://putoffprocrastination.com/testimonials/carole-s/
“After Beth came and shared about procrastination, many realized that it is possible through the Lord's power to stop putting off what God has called us to do. One mother finally started a blog and another posted a ladies; tea for her church months in advance so that ...she would not put off having it. Although I thought I was not someone who procrastinates, I realized I had some relationships that I needed to work on. Procrastination, I learned, is not just about getting things turned in on time, it's about listening to God and doing what He says to do when He tells you to and obeying God's Word.”

Rebecca F.

Beth Sterne - Put Off Procrastination
2018-08-16T14:43:28-04:00

Rebecca F.

“After Beth came and shared about procrastination, many realized that it is possible through the Lord's power to stop putting off what God has called us to do. One mother finally started a blog and another posted a ladies; tea for her church months in advance so that ...she would not put off having it. Although I thought I was not someone who procrastinates, I realized I had some relationships that I needed to work on. Procrastination, I learned, is not just about getting things turned in on time, it's about listening to God and doing what He says to do when He tells you to and obeying God's Word.”
https://putoffprocrastination.com/testimonials/rebecca-f/
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Beth Sterne - Put Off Procrastination
Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise! It has
no commander, no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
Proverbs 6:6-8
... you have put off the old man with
his deeds, and have put on the new
man who is renewed in knowledge
according to the image of Him who
created him.
Colossians 3:9-10

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