Thanking is Ministry
Last week, I got a text from a phone number I didn’t recognize.
In short, it said, “Hi Cesie: I’m the executor of Barbara’s estate. In going through her belongings, I came across some photos [and] drawings from Luke and Rachel…Is it OK to mail them to you?”
Barbara was one of the last remaining people in my circle who knew my now-deceased parents. She was a neighbor when I was a little girl on Woodcroft Street in Azusa, CA. She always seemed so much older. She was the big teenager who lived down the street. And yet, she was only six years older than me.
My mom and her mom were best friends. When Mom moved to Oregon after my dad passed away suddenly, Barbara and Mrs. Kiger came to visit her. Mom and Mrs. Kiger (and Barbara too) talked on the phone frequently, telling tales, gossiping, and trading secrets.
Barbara loved our kids, Luke and Rachel – and they loved visiting her when we’d go back to Azusa. She always had a cute little dog the kids adored. And the pool in her apartment complex was a big hit. Barb was great at remembering Luke and Rachel’s birthdays and always sent them something at Christmas.
At some point, Barbara got cancer, and she became a recluse of sorts, not wanting people to see her in “that condition.” She and I continued to text, and I’d send her videos of Rachel singing. We kept that up until last November.
Then I got the text last week announcing her passing. The cancer had gone to her brain. She was lucky enough to have a friend move in with her so she could die at home.
On Monday, a box arrived on my doorstep. I was curious because I didn’t recognize the sender’s name. I had forgotten that it was on its way. When I opened it, I was overwhelmed.
Every thank you letter Luke and Rachel had written to Barbara was in that box. It was like a time capsule of their cute scrawls and earnest drawings. I’m sure they often felt like I was cracking the whip to get them to write those notes. But there they were—every single one of them; saved by Barbara.
I might not have been with Barb in her final days, and for that I am truly sorry. I should have been a better friend – it’s a regret, and I can learn from the experience.
But those thank you letters. I like to think of them as a time when they ministered to Barbara in some way. I like to think that they brought her joy and let her know how much she was loved. They must have meant something to her, or surely, she would have tossed them out.
I get it. Sitting down and writing a thank you letter takes time. It takes thought. It takes effort.
But to the person you are writing to, it might be just the note they need to read. It might become a cherished validation of who they are and what they mean to you. It lets them know they matter.
The box that arrived on Monday taught me a valuable lesson, one that I had not really considered before…
Thanking is ministry.
Who do you need to write to today?
***
Joe Park from Horizons Stewardship has just sent a timely post: Five Steps to Creating a Culture of Gratitude and Giver Appreciation.
Here’s my annual gift to you: Those of you who write their year-end letter early and want to get some friendly feedback from me – send your draft letter no later than Friday, Nov. 28 to InspiringGenerosity@gmail.com.
And…head’s up. I’ll be on a two-week vacation (two weeks!) Dec. 1-14. There will be no Inspiring Generosity posted during that time. But you can bet I’ll have plenty to say when I return.
Cesie Delve Scheuermann (pronounced “CC Delv Sherman,” yes, really) is a Stewardship Consultant for the OR-ID Annual Conference. She is also a Senior Ministry Strategist with Horizons Stewardship – helping with capital campaigns and encouraging more generosity. For 25 years, while working as a volunteer and part-time consultant, she has helped raise over three million dollars for numerous churches and non-profit organizations. She's an old Carpenters fan and this is one of her favorite songs about gratitude. Take a listen to "Sometimes" and Karen Carpenter's achingly beautiful voice.
You can reach Cesie at inspiringgenerosity@gmail.com, at CesieScheuermann.com, or at cesieds@horizons.net. Want to schedule a meeting? She’s got you covered!
Schedule a meeting now.
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