Appreciation

Today, I went to a clergy appreciation lunch. It was given by one of the funeral homes in town, to thank the pastors for their service to the community. The lunch was at a really nice Italian restaurant, where I had manicotti that rocked my world (and even have leftovers in the fridge).

At this meal, they had amazing, mouth-watering desserts. I cannot eat desserts. If I eat sugar, I literally feel like I am about to die, within a few minutes of ingestion. Since I'm not a fan of near-death experiences, I avoid sugar like the plague. But I have developed a strange habit. I now like to smell other people's desserts. I know, I'm strange. Somehow, if I can just smell it, not eating it doesn't seem like such a sacrifice. I had to hold myself back from asking the pastor next to me if I could smell his pecan pie. My fear of being known as that "crazy Methodist pastor who sniffs desserts" overrode my desire for inhalation. Sometimes, I can be downright well-behaved (don't tell anyone).

In addition to feeding us, the friendly funeral home people also gave us each a gift: a $20 gift card to Kroger's. I was shocked. I thought that the lunch was more than extravagant...especially considering it is part of our job description, as pastors, to do funerals. It was rather unexpected to be given a gift, just for doing my job. And since Kroger sells gas, I might actually get a couple gallons of free gas out of that $20 gift card, which excites me.

Today made me realize that it is nice to be appreciated, to get a pat on the back every once in a while. It made me remember how important it is to say 'thank you' and to let people know that they matter, even if they are just doing their jobs. I usually try to be extra polite to people who serve me (wait staff, clerks, pedicurists, etc.), making sure they know they are appreciated--but sometimes I forget (or am so busy talking that I don't say "thank you" when someone refills my water). I feel inspired, after today, to be on the look out for more ways to encourage others, to thank them for what they do. It means more than we realize. With all the negative things in life, in this world, maybe we could all try a little harder to pass on some positive encouragement, some appreciation.

With that in mind, I want you to know how much I appreciate you, my faithful blog readers. It is so much fun to write something and know that there are people who actually read it...in fact, people who come here regularly just to see what I have to say. That means a lot! This blog is made possible by readers like you (I totally stole that from PBS).