The other day, I listened to someone make a thanksgiving speech.
She thanked God for her life, her family, her children, her business.
She thanked God for how He protected her and her family…, for how He provided for her and her family,
for how He did not allow her enemies triumph over her and her family…
I could go on, but I’ll spare you the rest of the details.
All good and well, and I was genuinely happy for her and thankful to God for keeping her and her own, but in retrospect, I realised that it was all about her, her speech was filled with, “I/My/me”.
Not once did she mention anyone outside her family, not once did she express thanks for what God might have done for others or used others to do for her.
She simply did not acknowledge anyone else in her speech.
And, I realised that most times, most of us tend to focus so much on ourselves that we forget that our testimonies, our successes, our achievements, our accomplishments and our attainments always come about because of someone else, whether directly or indirectly.
There will always be someone who contributes to your testimony. That person may or may not realise it, but without him or her, your story would not be complete. Their contributions might sometimes even be negative, but without them, you would not have been spurred on to greater heights.
And, as the year rolls to an end, we should all remember that even though your destiny and your success is in no one’s hands, we do need each other to achieve and to attain. We need each other and we should be thankful for each other. Is there not a saying about no one being an island? And, truer words has not been said.
No one is an island, so, when you thank God for the wonderful year you’ve had, remember to thank Him for all the wonderful people He strategically placed on your paths to make things happen.
Remember to thank everyone who readily allowed himself to be a vessel in God’s hands to make your story what it is today.
Remember to be thankful for everyone who lent a helping hand.
And, remember to say a word of thanks to everyone who offered a word of prayer, shared a word of encouragement, or whispered a word of hope, whether you know them or you don’t.
Say thanks to everyone who was there when you needed to talk.
To the people in your life who suffered when they saw you suffer, to the ones who rejoiced when they saw you rejoice.
To the ones who put up with you when you were being a real pain in the rear.
To the ones whose testimonies and success inspired you.
Acknowledge people for simply being in your life.
Let your thanksgiving speech truly gives thanks for the right people and for all the right reasons.
And, I want to specially thank “you” for being a very essential and integral part of my life and my testimony. Without “you”, there will be no me.
That there fairly summarises my thanksgiving speech.
