Has another Thanksgiving rolled around to find you thankful of the same things as last year?  (Let me guess:  Friends, Family, God, and Good Health)

There’s nothing wrong with that, of course.  Those are are some darn fine things to be thankful for.

But this year, let’s think outside the box a little.  The following list is designed to help us stretch our thankfulness a bit, in some ways we might not always think of.  Ready to THANK outside the box?

7 Ways to THANK outside the box

1.  THANK a soldier.

Amillionthanks.org has been responsible for sending more than 7 million letters of thanks to our soldiers.  Check out the site for information about how to put your letter in a soldier’s hands.

 

2.  THANK a teacher.

Remember how great your 5th grade teacher Mrs. Janezik was?  Let her know!  http://www.thank-a-teacher.org/ is an easy way to let a teacher know you appreciate them.  Put in your name, pick their school, write your thanks, and this site will get the thank-you to them.

 

THANK local.

In the mad rush of post Thanksgiving shopping, the little guys can get overlooked.  Instead, be intentional about buying at least some of your gifts from local merchants.  It’s good for the economy and can be a needed boost for smaller stores.  In 2010 American Express created Small_Business_Saturday as a yearly reminder.

 

THANK a wrestling partner

No, not actual wrestling (although, why not!).  Think of the person or people whom you’ve wrestled with intellectually or spiritually, and thank them for how you’ve grown from it.  That friend from college you always find yourself debating religion with?  Thank them for the wrestle.  That co-worker who always keeps you on your toes?  Thank them for the wrestle.   They just might thank you back.

 

THANK God for Tuesdays

For some reason, TGIT has never caught on as much as TGIF.  Of course, it’s easy to thank God for Fridays — it’s the end of the week, time to let your hair down.  But why not try to thank God for all the other days, even the Tuesdays.   Your deliberate gratitude for a day in the middle of the week might just alter your own appreciation of it.

 

THANK a checkout clerk

 

It’s gonna be busy in all the stores, so as you go through the check-out line, why not take a cold drink out of the cooler at the end of the aisle, pay for it with your groceries, and then tell your checkout clerk that you got it for them as a thank you for their hard work.

 

THANK a writer

 

In the past year, did you read something that made an impact on your life?  A devotion book, a novel, maybe a passage of scripture?  I’ll bet the author would love to hear from you.  If they’re alive, you could write to them care of the publisher, or many authors have their own websites.  And if, as in the case of the scriptures, the author is long since gone, you could say a prayer of thanksgiving, or even write out a few sentences to share on your Facebook page.

 

There are obviously lots more than 7 ways to THANK outside the box this year.  Whichever new ways you choose to show your thanks, you’ll find yourself blessed as well.  Gratitude has a habit of filling lots of hearts, including the giver’s.

May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and THANK YOU for reading!

Mitch