Thanks, In Deed

I’ve heard this song probably a thousand times. Sometime between the ages of 11 and 18, I remember having to memorize it for something. I don’t remember if it was for a Primary program or a Young Women’s program of some kind, just that we sang it over, and over, and over again until we had all three verses memorized.

Because I Have Been Given Much 

Today, when we sang it at church, the last verse hit me differently than it ever has before.

Because I have been blessed by
Thy great love dear Lord;
I’ll share thy love again
According to thy word;
I shall give love to those in need,
I’ll show that love by word and deed;
Thus shall my thanks be thanks in deed.

But, see, I wasn’t looking at the book while I was singing. I still have it memorized so I didn’t have the book open. That’s important because of that last line. This time, when I sang it, I heard:

Thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed.

It’s only missing a space, but it changed the entire meaning of the verse to me.

Instead of telling the Lord that I would be giving Him thanks through my deeds, I was telling him that in order for my thanks to truly be “THANKS,” I would be giving them through my love for others, my own kindness, patience, and even my words. I was telling him that the way I speak to others, the way I love others, the way I treat them, was how I would show my love and gratitude to Him.

Another lesson learned when it comes to being a mom.

My children are His children. He’s trusting me to teach them and lead them back to Him. How I treat them, what I do with and for them, shows Him my gratitude (or lack thereof), for that trust.

No pressure, right?

Actually, yeah, no pressure. Because we always have the opportunity to repent and do better. Our loving Father in Heaven has given us the opportunity to grow and improve each day. He knows we won’t achieve perfection in this life. He’s fully aware of our weaknesses. He knows that we’ll do our best and that sometimes our best won’t be exactly what’s needed.

Hence the old saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.”

Our Father in Heaven has given us family, friends, teachers, leaders, and even random strangers in some cases, to help us learn how to teach and treat our children. We have opportunities to learn from a wide variety of people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and generations, if we choose to.

And how we treat those people, how we treat our village, is how we thank Him for the gift.