Something I’ve been preaching to my own heart in recent weeks has been a simple little mantra, namely this:
Mind the good.
In any given moment of our lives, whether in class or around the dinner table, there are a thousand blessings, if we would but see them. This takes eyes of faith, because we believe that being responsible means dealing with the problems before us. But thankfulness cleans off of our smudgy glasses to be able to see those problems more clearly. It lends perspective, and we all need that.
Imagine a mom and dad and their four kids are at the dinner table, and the kids are bickering. True, it’s bad that they’re bickering. Maybe even really bad. But…
- It’s good that the kids are all there, and none are sick or in the hospital.
- It’s good that the family has managed to prioritize mealtimes together for sake of connection.
- It’s good that the table has food on it.
- It’s good that they have a place to eat that food.
- It’s good that moments like these are (probably) outnumbered by sweeter moments of harmony that cultivate family loyalty and create happy memories.
- In sneaky ways, these times are stabilizing and anchoring for the family.
What, of these good things, do they deserve? (Hint: it rhymes with “sun.”)
Being mindful of the good things in this vignette does not make the bickering automatically disappear. And yet it does lend a degree of helpful clarity when it comes time to address that bickering.
If you’re at ECS, you have a family. Families are good, and families have family problems. Your kids are in a classroom full of other sinners and also full of good blessings.
May God grant us eyes of faith to see the good in the midst of the bad.
—The U.H.