Thank you after every single item

““A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty. “It is you priests who show contempt for my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’”
‭‭Malachi‬ ‭1:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/111/mal.1.6.niv

"Lord, bless our customers  not because we provide for them but because of what they give to us."  I saw his prayer answered with a valuable learning that very day.

I volunteered at the local food pantry that day.  My job was to assist the shoppers by pushing the shopping cart and bagging their selections.  It has been enjoyable to watch the interaction of people.  Our shoppers and volunteers show each other respect and care, demonstrate lack of greed, and exhibit gratitude.  One particular day gave me insight into the verse in Malachi.

The  prophet was delivering bad news.  God was angry.  The people had shown Him disrespect by challenging His love for them.  Of course, the people are arrogant and, defensively, ask how they have shown contempt for God. The following verses detail the examples of ingratitude, of giving less than their best to God, of failure to show their love for God.

I grew up in The Show Me State, Missouri. So I respond when I see love lavished on me.  The first question in our premarital counseling was "How do you know you are in love?"  My response was a list of how my intended had showed me his love.  He did and does well nearly 45 years later.

A soft spoken gentlemen showed me how to demonstrate love and gratitude.  As he handed each one of his carefully selected items he murmured "thank you", not to me but just a quiet thank you in general.  He did it after each and every item that went into his bags. 

Do I say thank you for each and every blessing? 

Is there a blessing so small  that it doesn't merit gratitude?  Apparently not.

We teach little ones to say please and thank you.  This quiet man whispered a valuable lesson to me that day and Malachi loudly reminded me-- show my gratitude.