Giving Thanks

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for that is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.  1 Thessalonians 5:16

Miss M unknowingly caught my attention this week when she was having some free art time and misspelled the card she was making.  I'm so used to seeing the word "Thanksgiving" that I often gloss over the true meaning, even at this time of year.  But when I read what she had accidentally written, I immediately asked myself, "For what have I GIVEN thanks?"  I asked myself if I was giving God thanks for everything or just the things that I liked?  It's easy to thank God for all the good things in life.  Thankfulness for the good stuff rolls off our tongues so easily.  And grumbling rolls off the tongue just as easily.  Probably more easily some days. 

Am I thankful for the times when my children are at each other's throats?  No. 

Am I thankful for the times I'm disorganized and can't seem to keep on top of any single project I've started?  No. 

Am I thankful when my car won't start and we're late getting somewhere?  No. 

Am I thankful for children who wake me up in the middle of the night for various reasons, keeping me from getting a full night's sleep?  For several weeks?!?  No. 

Am I thankful for expensive medical tests and doctor's visits that are straining the budget to the breaking point?  No. 

Should I be thankful for all of these things?  YES!  I should be thankful my children are healthy enough to fight with each other.  I should be thankful that God has everything under control, even when I don't (and also that there will be no paperwork in heaven.)  I should be thankful that I even have a car to drive.  I should be thankful that my children like to snuggle with me, even if it's in the middle of the night.  I should be thankful I live in a country where medical care is so accessible. 

Because I am a sinner, I know that most days I'll probably still grumble more than I'll rejoice, but I pray God will continue to help me see the areas of my life where I've given thanks and the areas where I still need to. 

We can learn like this...

or like this...

or like this...

  
Miss M is as bright as they come (this is my professional and motherly opinion), but she has had her learning struggles like many children do.  Reading has been a frustrating challenge for her. Timed fact tests in math send her into a frozen state of fear.  Handwriting has also been a struggle.  So, I try to find the learning potential in any situation to help her as much as possible.  And it's so enjoyable to watch her improve in all areas.  Her reading and handwriting are improving, mostly due to the extra help she's received from a dear friend and learning expert, Mr. D.  He's encouraged her to use learning strategies to help her stay focused and better track the words on the page.  I don't time her fact tests every time.  I let her lie on the floor to finish her math.  She sits on the futon to practice her reading or spelling.  We dance around and sing a lot.  If she wants to play with toothpicks in the kitchen with her brother, that's fine with me.  On her own she practiced counting out a hundred toothpicks...for fun! 

I have noticed that when the television and the computer are off, the kids can easily find constructive and educational things to do.  (Of course they fight and drive each other crazy, but that's educational, too.)  I am as guilty as any other parent of using electronic devices as free baby-sitting, but I'm trying more and more to encourage unplugged time.  Their play is fascinating to watch.  They can be different cartoon characters, act out stories with cars and trains, pretend to be a vet or a policeman (or woman!), act like animals, or pretend to be hurt or unhappy and have things "fixed" again.  I want my kids to stay kids as long as possible.  And I truly feel that constructive and creative play is one of the best ways to help my kids wade through the more difficult (and sometimes frustrating) educational "stuff" they need to know in life (math facts, what an adverb modifies, how a silent final e works, etc.)  So, at our house, sometimes we're working, and sometimes we're playing.  But we're always learning. 

 

Play is often talked about as if it were relief from serious learning.  But for children play is serious learning.  Play is really the work of childhood.  ~Fred Rogers