Did you know that not everyone has been brought up to smile? When McDonald’s restaurants invaded Russia, the bosses insisted that the Russian young people working behind the counter give customers the standard Mickey D smile. Russian customers were outraged–and insulted–because in Russia smiling at people you do not know means you’re making fun of them. How did Mickey D Russia solve the problem? They hired personnel called “Smile Explainers” to shout into bullhorns at customers in line: “When you reach the counter, you will be smiled at. This does not mean we are making fun of you.”
Sometime back there was a news article about an organization called Depressives Anonymous. It banned several people from their organization–because they weren’t depressed enough. I guess there are worse things than being banned from a group because you are not depressed enough. On the other hand, maybe some of those people who were banned from the group felt so bad about it that now they are qualified for re-admittance. Who knows? Some people have difficulty with the task of being happy.
Could it be that many people also have real difficulty feeling a sense of gratitude? In the familiar story of the ten men with leprosy who were healed by Jesus, only one gave thanks to the Lord. What happened to the rest? Too busy? Perhaps. Too self-occupied? More likely. Could it be that a few of the nine didn’t feel all that grateful?
There are people who have unlimited resources and won’t even pretend to be Thankful on Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, there are people in small huts in South America and Africa who offer a sincere prayer of gratitude to God each and every day for the little they do have.
During John Wesley’s student days, a poor porter knocked on Wesley’s door. It was a cold night, and Wesley suggested that the porter needed a thicker coat. “This is the only coat I have,” the porter replied, “and I thank God for it.” Wesley asked the man if he had eaten and the porter answered, “I have had nothing today but water to drink, but I thank God for that.” Wesley was deeply moved by the man’s sincerity and he said to him, “You thank God when you have nothing to wear and eat. What else do you thank God for?” The simple man replied, “I thank God that he has given me life, a heart to love him, and a desire to serve him.” After the man had left with a coat from Wesley’s closet, some money for food, and words of appreciation for the witness he had made, Wesley wrote something like this in his journal, “I shall never forget that porter. He convinced me there is something in religion to which I am a stranger.” It seems to me that attitude and perspective are the keys. What can you smile about at Thanksgiving?
