'Thanks-giving' for friends

Finding tangible and namable thanks might seems like an easy task until you attempt to write out the list. If an observer were to evaluate our thanks-givings by the way we live our lives or by the smiles we wear on our faces, things might be difficult to detect for some. I have met folks that simply don't smile and I've often wondered why? Why the sad look--always. Why do some individuals work diligently to never raise their eyebrows to communicate a sense of wonder, excitement or anticipation? I don't remember when I first started smiling. I've tried to remember if a photographer ever had difficulties getting me to smile for a family photo. A written list of tangible blessings that should create a list of 'thanks-givings' can be completed if we use single words to describe generalizations of our gratefulness. Friends is a good example. In traditional southern churches we love testimonies. Testimonies are that time in a worship services were different individuals stand-up before the congregation and share what God is doing in their lives or things they are thankful for. Friends is an often testified thanks. It is my attempt in this column to get you to think more than just the generalizations but for you to name tangible thanks. For example: I love my spouse because--and make a list; Follow the same practice your friends. What is it about your friends that meets a need in your life and allows you to practice your spiritual gifts to their benefit? Completing this task will require a little time and thought. Thinking about our blessings is an important practice and naming them one by one helps to keep a heart in an attitude of thanks and gratefulness. When I think about my friends individually and the traits that each of them exhibits I can honestly get teary-eyed. When we recognize the value others bring to the experience of life and more especially our personal benefit the entire practice of naming and list can be challenging and rewarding. Recently I called a friend to wish him a Happy Birthday. I didn't realize he was having a get together, maybe if I had been a better friend to him I would have been planning him an event, nevertheless, he shared what he was doing and said 'come'. An invitation by a friend to continue the journey of friendship is really an awesome moment in life. Traveling from a speaking engagement out of state, I found my eyes getting road weary one night and I called a friend living in that area and simply asked "is my room reservation still in good standing"? Stopping in town to meet up with friends for dinner at a resturant or accepting a home cooked meal invitation is a great blessings and a tangible thanks we should never grow weary of expressing gratitude. A blessing of friends includes having a group to meet, eat and conduct conversation with after church on Sunday's. Even better yet is seeing new folks join the group from time to time with the same welcome invitation you experienced when you were asked if you wanted to join. How about friends that pick up the phone and call you?..or do you always feel like you are the one making the calls. When friends call to just check in or say hello the moment always serves as a moral booster. How about 'thanks-giving' for friends who share their burdens and express their confidence in us to be confidential and to co-labor with them along their journey. Making a list and naming my friends with their individual traits gives me great reasons to thank God for their talents and to look for opportunities when they can expand their impact list because we know others who could use their helping hand. I believe in friendships that say, "I know someone you need to talk to, I think you could really help". If you've been on the receiving end of a gift of a friend to another, then you know that value and and finding the button of thanks in your heart is not difficult to find at all. I am confident that we all have friends that in general way we love and appreciate. If you want to take that relationship of friendship to another level name your appreciations and see if that doesn't help do the trick in building a stronger friendship, all because of thanks. And remember, there is a friend that sticks by closer than a brother. His name is Jesus. Until then