Gratitude is a Muscle to Be Exercised Daily, Not Just During Thanksgiving
Are you adept at exercising your gratitude muscle? Do you model how to be a gracious receiver when someone gifts you something? How are you teaching your children to have grateful hearts for little things, especially when our culture is one of abundance?
Years ago, we visited some friends for Christmas morning brunch; this couple had three teen boys. Upon our arrival, I noticed the atmosphere was anything but festive. The boys were all upstairs in their rooms. Upon inquiry, the mom explained how disappointed the boys had been upon receiving their new, shiny bikes. Her countenance was sad, and her heart was hurting. This couple was in full-time ministry and were always mindful of being good stewards of their resources, as we all should be. Not wanting to pay a fee for the bikes to be assembled, the dad had spent the entirety of Christmas Eve assembling those three bikes. The bikes were perfectly nice bikes, but they were not the latest with all the bells and whistles. My heart ached for this couple. It wasn’t long until the boys appeared on the scene with heartfelt apologies to their parents and an attitude adjustment.
We had a 13-month-old baby at the time, but that incident has stayed with me for years. Contrast that situation with the one I experienced last year when our grandchildren were gifted bikes for Christmas. They were 4, 6, and 8 and had never had their own bikes. Rather, they shared bikes with the other missionary kids in Burundi, Africa. Those shared bikes had wobbly tires and rusted-out parts. To them, a new bike was a gift unlike any other! And yes, I realize that their expectation level was much lower than that of a teenage boy. And this is my point: How do we teach our children to have grateful hearts when our culture is one of abundance, and the choices are many and alluring?
Perspective has much to do with a child’s sense of gratitude. Is it possible to teach children to be thankful for the simple things in life like a warm bed, running water, lights at the flip of a switch, and so on? I believe it is possible, but it takes intentionality. For example, what if you served rice and beans once a month to symbolize what some families in third world countries eat every day? While eating together, state the one or two things that each family member is grateful for that day. Likewise, we need to encourage children to be grateful for the intangibles – like a smile, a kind and encouraging word, or a helpful hand. As parents, model writing “thank you notes” and expressions of gratefulness. Just like other muscles, our gratitude muscle needs to have daily workouts!
The Shoebox ministry sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse is a wonderful way to include children in the act of giving basic gifts to children who have little. I do hope you talked to your children about where the boxes were going, and you allowed them the joy of giving by selecting the gifts to include in the box. What a perfect way to launch a conversation about what children in these countries receive for Christmas, and the smiles these basic items bring to their faces. Likewise, the catalogue that this organization distributes at this time of year shows some incredible gifts that one may sponsor like baby chicks, blankets and bedding, hot meals, clean water, or food for a hungry baby. Additionally, there are many ministries to meet local needs as well. Here again, perspective.
At this time of year, I want to express my gratitude for being allowed to serve you at Redeemer Day School! As G. K. Chesterton wrote, “When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” I take serving you at RDS with a deep sense of gratitude. May you and your family have a most blessed Thanksgiving as we express our thankfulness to God today and every day!
