Parents, Does It Really Say, "Give Thanks In ALL Circumstances?"* Words from Delta COVID 19

Parents, does it really say, “give thanks in all circumstances?” In 6th grade, Knox County students had the opportunity to go to a three day learning camp in the Smoky Mountains. I had heard all about this camp from my sister and her friends, so I couldn’t wait to be a sixth grader and go do all the things her class did. This was the mid-70’s so it was kind of a hippie nature education experience. We hiked, dipped our own candles, and wove belts from strips of leather. We heard mountain music and ate grits. The day before we left for the trip, my sixth grade teacher who, by the way, adored my sister and let me know I could be more like her, said, “ be sure to bring rain gear!” When we arrived at the camp and piled off the buses in our ponchos and raincoats, we gathered in the gym. She told us that it was forecasted to rain the whole time we were there. We all groaned, but she told us that these were the days that were given to us and we could embrace them, enjoy the rain and experience nature in a different way than we typically did or we could all be miserable and complain about it the whole time. She said our experience could be the best any one group has ever had at that camp, but it was up to us as to what our experience would be like. We could mope, but that wouldn’t change the circumstances, so we may as well find the positive, embrace the beauty of the rainy temperate deciduous forest biome while we were there and carpe diem! We could whine or shine through these wet days. This may have been my first realization that my attitude didn’t have to be shaped by the circumstances around me. Amazingly, our group stayed as relatively positive as any group of sixth graders could for those three days. After our hikes, we would pour the water out of our boots, wring out our socks and hang them on the end of the bunks. When someone would start to complain, this teacher would gently redirect us to notice something extraordinary or unique, like how the rain dripped off the pine needles and made a pattern in the needles on the ground. She would remind us that these trees around us grew strong and tall because they had plenty of rain. I was introduced to reflective journaling on this trip. We were instructed to find a place in the woods, far enough from another person so we would not be distracted (especially those of us with attention deficit challenges). Each morning we must go to this spot and write in a gratitude journal. This was not easy in the rain, trying to keep the pages dry, but somehow under our ponchos and raincoats we were able to write some things we enjoyed or appreciated from nature. My spot was on a rock next to a creek. The creek of course was rambling and loud, I thought that was cool, because sometimes I could be rambunctious and loud. I imagine it was typically just a babbling brook. After this experience, whenever it rained, I would put on my rain gear and boots and walk around my neighborhood to see how things looked and sounded differently than when it was dry and sunny and be thankful for the precipitation that made the grass green on the field where we gathered to play football and how it made the the trees that I climbed, strong and tall.

When the early church was experiencing some really difficult circumstances, the Apostle Paul wrote to remind them not to lose their joy and to guard their attitudes with gratitude. Because they belonged to Jesus they were privileged to have a different perspective on everything. God wanted them to shine, not whine. He told them, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 NIV) We have joy because God is always glad to be with us. He wants us to acknowledge that He is working “all things together for the good of those who love Him.” (Rom. 8:28) It’s really easy for me to hit a downward spiral of complaining about almost everything these days, but that does nothing to help me or those who have to (or choose to) listen to me. I don’t represent God very well when I’m only always negative and annoyed… Paul says God’s will is that we rejoice and give thanks in ALL circumstances. As one famous preacher says, “in the Greek, the word for ALL means ALL.” So, come on people, let’s shine not whine!

Hang in there people! God is glad to be with us! I’m praying for us all!