Noticing Your Necessary People
When my children received their yearbook one year from the homeschool academy they attended, there was a clever section that showcased all of the workers at their school. The administrative assistant in the front office. The principal. The volunteer janitors. The lunchroom workers. This section was cleverly labeled Necessary People. These workers were important to the day-to-day functioning of this academic institution. Without them, life around there just wouldn’t get done.
In each of our own lives, we also have necessary people. They help us find the artichokes in the produce section of the farmer’s market. They groom our pets. They fill our prescriptions or cut our kids’ hair. They make our high maintenance sandwich at the local sub shop. Wherever we turn, we bump into another necessary person.
Yes, many of us don’t fail to remember such people when Christmas time rolls around. We may drop off a plate of cookies at the front office of our children’s school. Or perhaps we set out a little sweet treat for the frazzled package delivery worker who is frantically making their rounds. But how many of us stop to remember such people on a random, ordinary day?
A friend of mine who was once an elementary school teacher told me that she could hardly remember the gifts she got at Christmas each year. However, what she never forgot were the handful of people who sent her a note, or gave her a little thank you gift, on an ordinary day, just to show their gratefulness for all that she did in her child’s life.
One aspect of the New Testament letters that I love to take note of is the various ways that the writer opens the letter, greeting its recipients in a personal and often unique way. And one of my most favorite is the opening of Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi. He gives a very simple, yet somewhere profound, greeting. He says:
I thank my God every time I remember you. Philippians 1:3 (NIV)
Paul had developed a little habit. Every time one of his brothers or sisters from the Philippian church popped in his mind, it triggered gratefulness in his heart. So, he thanked the Lord for them.
Can we adopt the same practice today? Whenever we remember or encounter, a necessary person in our life or the life of one of our children, could we allow it to trigger a prayer of thankfulness to God, not only for that person but for the various ways that they help us to get life done? And then, could we take it a step farther and actually let them know? What might this look like?
When we remember our faithful, dependable teenage babysitter, we could pick up a gift card to her favorite area restaurant and then tuck it in a notecard along with our hand-written sentiments letting her know how grateful we are for her love and care of our children.
And while we do, we can whisper a prayer of thankfulness to God.
When we run into the clerk behind the department store counter, who cheerfully rings up our purchases and never fails to inquire how our day is going, we can stop and verbally encourage them by telling them how much they are cheerful attitude always makes our shopping trip pleasant.
And while we do, we can whisper a prayer of thankfulness to God.
When our mechanic is finished repairing the brakes on our car, making it safe again for travel, we can hand them a plate of homemade cookies and tell them how thankful we are for his or her hard work and expertise.
And while we do, we can whisper a prayer of thankfulness to God.
When we go to the school on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon to pick up a child, we can stop by the front office to drop off a gift card for a manicure at a local nail salon, thanking the administrative assistant for constantly using her hands to type away on the computer, keeping everyone in the district informed of what’s going on at the school.
And while we do, we can whisper a prayer of thankfulness to God.
Being grateful is a healthy habit to cultivate. It helps us keep our eyes alert and our ears tuned to the various people around us whose hard work often goes unnoticed. And it increases our gratitude to God for the many blessings he sends our way through these often obscure—but oh-so-necessary workers.
Blessings,
Karen
Would you love more practical ideas for showing love not only to the necessary people in your life, but to all the people that God puts in your path—family, friends, and even strangers? Pre-order Karen Ehman’s newest book, Reach Out, Gather In: 40 Days to Opening Your Heart and Home by October 19 and receive a bonus package of digital resources including menu-planning and shopping sheets, make-ahead recipes, a monthly clutter-busting and cleaning plan, and simple decorating ideas using items found in nature. Click here for more details.
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