Take every opportunity to say "Thanks"

Man years ago, I was not sure I wanted to have kids, so I started praying about it. One morning, we sang “Because He Lives” in church, and there’s a line about holding a new baby. Hearing and singing it seemed like a gentle nudge from God. A few other things like this happened, and I told my wife that yes, I am ready to be a father. Now, 9 yrs into dadhood, I can’t imagine I ever wasn’t sure about this.

Then, a few years ago, I brought my then-3-yr-old daughter into a Mardel store to pick something up. It happened that Gloria Gaither was there to do a book signing. She started talking to my daughter, telling her she was pretty, etc. I smiled, didn’t say much, then we left.

An hour later, I met with some friends, and told them who I had run into at the store. One of them said "You know, Gloria Gaither wrote that song, 'Because He Lives'."

I wanted to kick myself, because I had had a chance to personally thank someone who had been used by God to impact me in a very meaningful way, and I didn’t realize it.

Lesson learned: If you have a chance to say thanks to someone, take it. You may regret having missed the opportunity later.

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