As I passed through the family room I heard a TV Talking Head speaking about money problems.  “One of the things we must learn is to have respect for what you have.”

I stopped wanting to take note of who was speaking; but The Head had disappeared from the screen as they often do.  While The Head was gone, her point stuck.  I reached into my pocket and found 10 crumpled $1 bills.  I stopped to straighten the errant bills and put them back where they belonged.  Then I decided to take a survey the other possessions I have that I’ve disrespected.

I placed a towel that had fallen on the floor into the dirty clothes hamper.  This morning as I dressed, I had carelessly stepped on the towel rather than pick it up. Then I attempted to repair the blinds in a bedroom that had been broken by the last guests in our home.  I had spent a few minutes trying to straighten it but concluded that it would be easier to buy something new than keep fiddling with the cranky window covering.  Miraculously, after an additional ten minutes or so, I found the secret to the repair and the blinds obeyed my command to go back to its lower position.

I wiped the inside of my refrigerator and freezer where I’d neglected spills.  I straightened my food pantry and removed the out-of-date items.  I cleaned out the bottom of my cabinet where I keep those glass jars when the jelly is empty.

These were the easy fixes.  My monthly bill file drawer will take more than 10 minutes to return to its proper location.  The garden in the back of our house will be a day project.  My dented auto will put my traveling out of commission for about a week when it’s repaired.

Once again, the Lord had spoken to me through an unusual voice.  Thanksgiving must be a time for prayers of thankfulness.  But showing respect for the many things God has given to me will show my thanksfulness in tangible ways.