“I would thank you from the bottom of my heart, but for you my heart has no bottom.” –Source Unknown


“When eating bamboo sprouts, remember the man who planted them.” –Chinese Proverb

For most American citizens the title “Thank You for Your Service” immediately brings to mind our military. That is as it should be. They place themselves in harm’s way for the good of you and me. They deserve our gratitude, as do many others. A holiday season is upon us. Let us give thanks.

This is my essay, so please allow me the honor of leading the way:

United States Military Personnel: Thank you and God bless you to all the men and women of the United Sates Military. Your courage, integrity, honor and sacrifice are not only a blessing, but they are an encouragement and an example. Personally, I am humbled by comparison and proud by association. Thank you. My prayer is that the Lord will keep you safe. You are loved by many.

Last Christmas Eve, as I was running last minute errands, I observed a number of other folks who also deserve my gratitude. Before I present my list below, it is imperative to apologize to those who deserve mention, but due to forgetfulness or space constraints, are not mentioned here. You know who you are. You have my thanks.

Law Enforcement and Fire Fighters: This is another group that deserves our gratitude. They, like the military, serve to protect our safety. The only difference is that they usually are not stationed far from home for long periods. Their jobs are still very dangerous and stressful. They serve when duty calls: Nights, days, weekends, and yes, even holidays. Thank you and God bless; your service is appreciated.

State department and intelligence services: Whether serving at home or overseas, the employees of our government in these capacities have a difficult and sometimes dangerous job. The USA is the most generous country in the world, especially when disasters hit. But we still have enemies at home and abroad who never sleep in their efforts to disrupt and even destroy the American way of life. They seem to resent the liberty we want to share. The people that defend that way of life and that liberty may not rest. Even on Christmas Day, there will be many working while we celebrate. To all of those, on behalf of all of us, thank you and God bless.

Hospital and emergency medical workers: Unfortunately, there are those who will not be home for Thanksgiving or Christmas because of medical reasons. I hope that their residence in a hospital bed is temporary, but while they are there, someone must care for them. Let us give thanks to the doctors, nurses, technicians, EMTs, food service staff and custodial staff who keep our medical care facilities and operations running when we need them. Thank you.

Postal workers, UPS, FedEx, Truckers, etc.: People in this category will probably not have to work on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day. However, their “day before” is oftentimes a long and grueling day. They deliver the packages, Christmas cards, freight and last minute communications that help make our holidays all the more joyful. Thank you and God bless.

Retail and food service workers: Do you rush out at the last minute to buy another gift that you forgot to purchase earlier? Do you order a food tray, snack tray, pizzas, a cake or other goodies for your party or family gathering? Do you have items in lay-away at your favorite retailer to be picked up at the last minute?

It is an accepted fact that hurried and harried shoppers are not always pleasant to the people who serve them. It is a tough job. We must say thanks to all of those who work on these special holidays. They make it better for those of us who do not work those days. Thank you.

This list is too short. The reader can probably think of many others. But these are the ones that come to my mind this holiday season. My hope is that my readers will remember to thank those in their life who make a difference.

Thanksgiving is for giving thanks. It is a holiday founded by the earliest settlers of the wild but abundant land we now call America. They were Christians. Christmas too is about Jesus Christ. I thank Him for His redemptive sacrifice. I thank Him for the trials and His victories in my life. I thank Him for the protections of my family. I thank Him for my beloved home, America.

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a retch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.”

“Of all the attitudes we can acquire, surely the attitude of gratitude is the most important and by far the most life changing." –Zig Ziglar