Thank You In Advance

I drove through the drive thru at McDonalds a while back and just had to take a picture.

Does anyone besides me find this just a little bit annoying?  Now I know it is really a trivial thing in the larger scope of life but it still bugs me...and I have biblical support.

Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes.
Song of Solomon 2:15 (NKJV)

It isn't usually the big stuff that causes problems.  Its all the little stuff that piles up.

Anyway, that sign was a little fox on that particular day.  I read that and got to thinking, "Wow, that is really just being bossy in a sweet way!"

Let me run that through the "unsugarcoated translater":

"Don't waste my time...have your money out.  And by the way, hang up your phone!  I have a business to run."

I guess it caught my attention that particular day because of another phrase that amuses me:

"I'd like to thank you in advance..."

Once again, just another polite way to be bossy.  By thanking someone in advance, we get to tell them what to do and if they don't want to do it, they come off looking bad.  I mean, come on...I thanked you in advance!

Thank you in advance for putting my stapler back on my desk. (Anyone inclined to borrow it and not return it.)

Thank you in advance for closing my door on the way out. (Anyone who comes in my office when the door is closed, props the door open to talk and then turns and leaves.)

Thank you in advance for picking up your toys, clothes, shoes, insert carelessly discarded item you expect me to pick up later. (My 6 year old daughter.)

In my mind I can see this being integral to an argument between two little old ladies:

"Doris, that hat you are wearing makes your earlobes look fat!"

"I don't know how you could tell, looking through those Coke bottle bottom glasses you wear!"

"Well, I don't really need to see that clearly because your earlobes have always been fat!!!"

"Well, I'd like to thank you in advance for keeping your opinions to yourself!!!!!"

"Well, I'd like to thank you in advance for leaving me alone!!!!!!!!!!!"

Silence as a few moments pass...

In a much calmer tone, "You coming tomorrow to pick me up for bingo?"

"Sure, I'll be there about 9 am."

"Thank you in advance for the ride."

"You're welcome."


To me, one for the most comical things about "Thank you in advance..." is that I hear people use that when they pray!

It goes something like this, "And God, we want to thank You in advance for what You are going to do in this (whatever it may be) situation."

Really?  Are we too busy that we have to pre-record our thankfulness?

What if He answers in a way we don't like?

Do we "unthank" Him in retrospect?

At the end of the day, the sign at McDonalds really doesn't bother me.  More than anything, it draws my attention to the fact that we don't always think through the real meaning of what we say and how important our words really are.

Growing up I always heard, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."

That's simply not true.

I have a sign that used to hang in my grandparents kitchen.  It says, "Kind words, how little they cost.  Scatter them freely, that none may be lost."

I used to see that every time I visited and liked it so much that I asked if I could have it.

Our words matter!

Anyway, thank you in advance for your comments on this post!