“Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” Psalm 106:1
— Showing generosity to rude people undermines their negativity, disarms them, and can often turn their mood or demeanor around.
— Experts list gratitude as an essential ingredient of happiness.
— Thank-you notes help you feel connected to loved ones, friends, and colleagues in a world that can sometimes feel divisive and shallow.
— Thank-you notes are tiny reminders of the limitless potential and power of acting graciously.
Those are all admirable outcomes.
But there is a deeper, spiritual reason for thankfulness, too. And the article reminded me of a story told by Corrie ten Boom.
Corrie and her family lived in the Netherlands during Hitler’s reign of terror. They decided to stand up to the evil around them by hiding Jews. None of their charges were ever caught, but they were. (You can read all about it in her excellent book, The Hiding Place.)
She and her sister Betsie, both in their 50s, were imprisoned in a concentration camp. Their first night, when they laid down on the thin straw that was their only cushioning on the hard wood bunks, they were immediately bitten by hundreds of fleas.
Both jumped out of bed, and Betsie turned to Corrie and said, “Let’s thank God for the fleas.” Corrie wrote how she couldn’t believe there was anything to be thankful for in this situation, but out of obedience begrudgingly thanked God for the fleas.
And they went back to bed, still tormented by the vermin.
But they witnessed to those who were incarcerated with them. This was punishable by death if they were caught, so they did it cautiously. As the days passed, they were emboldened and shared more openly.
They relished the few times they were allowed outside, into the sunshine. One day, as they were outside, they overheard two guards talking, saying they would never enter the barracks because of the flea infestation.
Betsie and Corrie realized what a blessing it was to have the fleas — that’s why the guards never caught them witnessing to their fellow prisoners.
Betsie died in the camp, and Corrie lived many years, touring the world and telling of the greatness of God even in such dire circumstances.
She always remembered to remind everyone to be thankful, even for the fleas.