One of the best commercials I have ever seen on television is one about gratitude. A young lady is going off to college and leaving her home for the first time. Her father walked her to the curb and helped load her luggage into the car. The young lady gives him a quick hug and a wave and says ‘bye’ to her dad before jumping into the car with her friend she was riding with.
The car pulls away from the curb and goes about 20 feet and suddenly stops. The young lady jumps out of the car and runs back to her dad and gives him a tremendous hug and a kiss on his cheek. As she was about to leave, she realized what she was leaving behind and as she was hugging her dad, she whispered to him “Thank you for everything.” She then left and her dad was seen with a tear in his eye as he waved to her goodbye.
I thought this was a great commercial and at the end of it, the announcer says it is about “Gratitude”. It must have been a public service announcement or I missed who was sponsoring it. However, it really spoke to me, and it continues to do so each time I see it.
Webster’s dictionary defines gratitude as: “the state of being grateful; thankfulness.”
I remember when I was leaving for basic training in the Air Force. My mom took me to the bus, which was already at the station and getting ready to leave. This was a small station downtown and the parking was very limited. I got out of the car and told mom “Goodbye’ and I could see the emotion on her face as she was sending another one of her boys off for military service. Just as I was getting ready to step on the bus Mom hollered at me to wait. She had found a parking spot and came back to hug me and kiss me on the cheek, which she did. I realized at that time I was leaving home, but she knew I was leaving for good. This hug affected me physically, mentally, and emotionally and I will remember it until the day the Lord takes me to my heavenly home to see her again.
One of the other hugs that I remember very well was the time I was leaving for Southeast Asia. My mom and my fiancée were there to see me off and the hugs and kisses that I received gave me positive emotions as I remembered the good experiences we had. They were also there to welcome me home and the hugs were tighter and longer. We all thanked God for the safe return.
Just as the young lady was leaving her home for college, she realized what she was leaving behind. Her life was changing just as mine did when I went into the Air Force. We realized what we had, and we were grateful for what we had been blessed with and who was in our lives.
We are told in Colossians 3:15, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
Always show gratitude in anything you accomplish, do, or receive. If you do not have Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, accept Him into your heart today and He will give you peace, understanding, and a grateful heart!
