Spirit-Powered Witness Wherever, Whenever

I am trying to teach my daughters to look people in the eyes when they say thank you. As a mom of toddlers, I have learned that gratitude doesn’t always come naturally. We have to be taught and practice it until it eventually becomes our natural response to kindness. As toddlers, and even as adults, we’re naturally focused on what we want next.

So, when I watch my little ones get handed an ice cream cone and they simply take it, I make sure they pause, look up at the person who served them, and say thank you. Sometimes I’ll even ask for the server’s name so my girls can thank them personally. I think it makes a difference to feel seen.

We’re spending time at a summer camp this week, where high school students are preparing our meals in the kitchen. After each meal, I walk my girls up to the serving window to thank them. It’s become part of our routine. The students usually smile, sometimes a little surprised, and my girls are slowly learning that there is always a person on the other side of their meal.

I hope I’m not the only one doing this, and I certainly don’t think it’s a revolutionary parenting strategy. It feels pretty ordinary. But time and time again, my girls forget to say thank you, and I gently remind them. Not because I want perfectly polite children (though… that would be great), but because I want them to notice people.

In today’s scripture, Jesus tells the disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses.” I wonder what it looks like for you to be a witness today. Maybe it starts by looking someone in the eyes, learning their name, and making sure they know they’ve been seen. Every time I remind my girls to say thank you, I hope I’m teaching them more than good manners. I hope I’m teaching them to recognize the image of God in the people around them.