"Cank You"

My two-year-old nephew, Asher, is adorable. Of course he is – with a name that means “happy” and a personality to back it up, how could he not be?

My sister and I love to hear him say, “Thank you.” Actually, it comes out sounding more like “Cank you.” He says it clearly, emphatically and frequently. And it gets you right in the heart.

I was talking to my sister this weekend on the phone, and I could hear Ash in the background thanking his mommy for something. “Cank you.” We laughed. And she said something like this, “You know what really gets me about his thankfulness? It’s that when he says “thank you,” he always looks you straight in the eyes. You know that he totally means it and that it’s truly genuine.”

I keep thinking about what she said. And she’s right. You can see in his eyes that it comes from his heart. “Cank you.” And you know, I find myself desiring to give to others what Asher gives to me every time he says it – a gift of genuine gratefulness. When I say “thank you,” I want to look into the depths of others and from a heart of true thankfulness, I want to bless them with my words. I want to spread grace with my tongue.

Thank You, Lord, for using a two-year old to teach me how to say “thank you” properly.

And as for you, Asher, you are quite welcome.