Those Three Little Words – “Please” and “Thank You”

These Three Little Words Can Speak Life Into a Relationship

You Probably Think I Am Referring to “I Love You”- But I am not.

1. Please
2. Thank
3. You

I am an Ernest P Worrell fan from way back, and in his movie Earnest Saves Christmas the man destined to replace Santa Claus is finishing a puppet show for kids when he states enthusiastically, “They never seem old, they always seen new, those three little words ‘please, and “thank you’ “.. Sorry I couldn’t isolate the clip but it is around 16:50 into the movie on YouTube!

Appreciation Defined –

Expressing thanks, praise, or commendation. Recognizing accomplishment or effort, especially for what others do or attempt to do. Helping build intimate relationships by expressing thanks for accomplishment and / or effort.

If Appreciation is Left Unmet, Ingratitude is felt leaving others alone again.

To this day after 50 years of marriage, I still feel so good when my wife says, “Thank you” or “I appreciate what you did” ! Making a request with a “Please” shows humility and appreciation. Saying “Thank You”, when others do or try, shows even more gratitude. That is not complicated but very important to the intimacy within any relationship. Gratitude expressed in ways that reveal appreciation for the effort, time, or skill invested means more to the one who did the work than you may know.

We can show Appreciation by some of the following actions:

1. Saying “Thank You”
2. Recognizing their accomplishment or completion with a reward or gift
3. Verbally expressing thanks for their effort in front of others; bragging on them
4. Saying thank you even for doing daily tasks that often go unrecognized
5. Using some of their ideas in the decision making progress
6. Deferring to their good solution over one you suggested
7. Listening well and responding appropriately helps you focus your gratitude
8. Though probably not expressed for every task or effort, well-placed praise helps another person know that someone noticed and cares about what they did.

When Appreciation is not shown, there is a sense in which their effort was not worth being recognized though it may have been very important to the family or the marriage or the successful management of the household. Of course, people will still do important tasks even when unrecognized and unrewarded, but how much more they may want to do their important role in the future if the load is lightened by being recognized and appreciated.

Criticism is the only “recognition” some receive – instead of appreciation. Only being noticed for what I did wrong/didn’t do well kills motivation to keep doing well. Being unappreciated can leave a person feeling very much alone. That is not a good condition for our heart to live in for long.

Jesus showed appreciation for others by pointing out their actions for which he was grateful. The woman who anointed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair, another who poured expensive perfume on his head to focus on the death he was about to die, and the woman who answered him with a question about “shouldn’t the dogs get to eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table” were all publicly praised and in that way appreciated for what they did. Jesus lived a grateful life. Though God the Son deserving of complete obedience at all times, Jesus was still appreciative of the efforts of others.

He also expressed thanks to His Father (and Ours) by blessing the bread and fish, and giving thanks for the Father’s provision.

To whom could you express thanks and for what?

Thank God:

_____________________________________________________________________

Thank Person #1:

_____________________________________________________________________

Thank Person #2:

______________________________________________________________________

Etc.

Let’s make it a habit that whoever we find in service to God or to us and others – especially our spouse and family – let’s thank them, reward them, give a gift to them where appropriate.