Thank You!

I want to say thank you to some very special people today; and those are the ones that see that I eat every day.  They don't know me personally, but if not for them I would pretty much starve.  You see, I am not someone who knows anything about tending to a garden.  Now my son-in-law, he can take care of his needs without having to worry about going to the store.  If there was a food shortage, he could probably survive for a while with the food he has grown in his garden and canned.  He tends to the garden and nurtures the seedlings and knows how much water to give them and all that.  I know nothing about tomatoes or carrots or broccoli and how or when they are grown, so obviously I don't have a garden. 

But the farmers are out there planting seeds, and then when the time is right they pick the vegetables and somehow get them to the market.  Maybe the market comes and picks up all the produce from the farm, I don't know.  Then the drivers take it somewhere, to a place that must inspect the produce to make sure it is good enough to eat.  Then the packers take over and place the fruits and vegetables and nuts into bags or boxes or containers of some sort, and then the drivers take them to the store and unload them.  Some of the produce is fresh, some is canned, and some is frozen.  Each process requires different people to make sure the process was done correct.  Then there is the stocker at the grocery store or the sidewalk stand.  The grocer or the owner of the stand makes sure that everything is unloaded without dropping things or bruising fruits. 

The ranchers go through their process too, of feeding the cattle, pigs, chickens, goats, or whatever livestock they market.  They must get up early to feed and to milk.  They must be sure that the grain or feed they give their livestock is approved and healthy and free of contaminants.

Each one of these people at the supermarket who are hosing down the veggies so they look beautiful or inspecting the peaches before pricing them, or staying in the freezer in the bitter cold making sure the meals and frozen produce are ready to be shelved when the inventory goes down gets my heartfelt thanks today!

I just want you to know that your jobs may not be glamorous, but they are very important to me.  We customers tend to take you so much for granted, because you do such a great job making our lives convenient, that we don't even think about what goes into getting the food from the farm or ranch to our plate.  The cashiers and even the people that get the carts all work hard with very little thanks, and pretty low wages.

I want to recognize Brian today, who works in frozen at Wal-Mart in Austin, TX.  He is a sweet man, one who loves the Lord, and doesn't get much recognition or thanks from the hundreds of customers that come through each day.  But I know what he does and I appreciate that he is doing what he does so that I may eat.  God has blessed him and everyone I have mentioned with the gift of serving others, a very strong Jesus quality.  Most people don't even notice the employees unless they can't find something.  But these wonderful men and women have bills to pay and families to feed too.  And they have feelings.  They work to serve us.  And didn't Jesus do that very thing?  And He did it with humility.  We are all here to serve one another, and if we want to be more like Jesus we should practice that every chance we get.  Don't spill something and think, 'oh well, someone will clean it up, they get paid for that.'  Perhaps they do, but shouldn't you try to clean your own mess?  How would you like it if someone was visiting you and spilled something and didn't even attempt to clean it up because 'she's cleaning her house on Saturday anyway'?

So, dear Reader, next time you're at the store, why not go out of your way and bless one of these hard working people by thanking them?  I know it will make their day, and it will come as an unexpected shock to them.  How do I know?  I tried it a few weeks ago.  You wouldn't believe how good it makes you feel to hear "thank you" or "you're welcome" come from their disbelieving beaming face! 

Have a very blessed day, and to all of you who serve us by just "doing your job," thank you.  Without you I would starve. 

I ask that God especially blesses you and your families with an abundance of just what you need.  He has chosen you to do exactly what you are doing for a purpose.  Never feel like you don't matter or that your job is meaningless.  Oh no, you are very valuable to the economy of this great country and to its citizens!  I salute you!  And by the way, my husband and I hold you up in our prayers of thanksgiving before eating.  We are blessed because of you!

 ^“And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—  just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”  Matthew 20:27-29

“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”  Galatians 5:13