Say What You Need to Say

The right word at the right time is like precious gold set in silver. – Proverbs 25:11

I learned from hospice nurses that there are four things that need to be said before someone dies:

• I forgive you
• Please forgive me
• Thank you
• I love you

Grief can be more complicated if we don’t have the opportunity to express these things to a loved one before they breathe their last.

The question is, why do we wait until there’s a crisis to say what needs to be said?

This week many of us will gather around the table on Thanksgiving Day with friends and family. What a perfect time to express our gratitude for the people in our lives who mean so much. You may feel gratitude, but have you said the words? Gratitude that isn’t spoken is like a Thanksgiving feast left uneaten.

So, don’t let fear, pride, resentment or anything else stand in your way. Say what you need to say, while you can. Both you and the one to whom you express your gratitude will find it more fulfilling than all the turkey, mashed potatoes and pie. And you won’t have to loosen your belt!

Need a little inspiration? Watch this.

I’m grateful for you, dear reader, and I wish you a blessed Thanksgiving.

Jeff Marian serves as lead pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville, MN