Two little words which can mean so much

The image on the right is of a sunset over Derwentwater in the Lake District. It was not, sadly, one which I took myself. Rather, it is the image on the front of a greetings card which I received in the post this week.

A couple of weeks ago I took a funeral service for a family, and they had taken the trouble to write to express their appreciation with a Thank You card. I do occasionally receive Thank You cards, but it is not a common occurrence. The fact that someone has taken time to sit down and write a letter or card means a lot. The two words, "Thank You" can have significant effect. To feel appreciated is something we all need!

I'm sure that I have mentioned this before in my blog, but I wonder how many of us feel thankful but fail to express that thanks. The problem is that there will probably come a time when it's too late, and the opportunity has been lost.

A few months ago I encouraged the folk in my churches to make a commitment to contact someone and tell them how much they were appreciated. I hope that they responded to the challenge. How sad if we have people around us who we really appreciate and yet we never take time to tell them! And it doesn't just have to be those we know. How about the cheerful check-out operator at the supermarket? Or the cheerie postie? Or our long-suffering wife/husband/friend? A few more expressions of appreciation will go a long way!