Treasure Hunting

(A role-playing moment from the Entrepreneurship Quest, kicked off this past week.)

This week, we've been pondering gratitude. Last weekend my family and I had the privilege of attending a concert of the African Children's Choir, where it was brought home to us just what a priceless privilege it is for the children of the choir to attend school and receive an education. Scarcity breeds appreciation, and they realize that education is their ticket out of poverty and into their dreams of becoming a pilot, a pastor, an accountant, a mechanical engineer or a midwife. Yet our own kids are chauffeured to school each morning in comfortable cars, laden with healthy lunches and snacks. Education is not scarce. So can we blame them if they sometimes fixate on what's missing (the project teammates they would have preferred, the seat assignment they would have wanted, etc.) instead of what's there?

So Wednesday morning during launch, I handed each of the children a marker, pencil or pen. There was no rhyme or reason to who got what. And what they got was what they got. We went around the room and each expressed something to be grateful for about the particular gift they had received. For some, it was easy ("I got a pink marker and it's my favorite color!"). For others, the muscles of gratitude and imagination got to stretch a bit. Abigail dug deep to point out that her gray marker reminded her of God being light in the darkness. Meg thought her brown marker could be useful should she ever want to draw a dog!

Then we practiced a bit with other scenarios. How could we be grateful for a disappointing team assignment, or something else that falls to our lot, unwelcome? I challenged the children to "treasure hunt" during the day. And what do you know, during Core Skills my extremely fizzy bottle of kombucha made a big mess when I tried to open it, foaming all over my jeans and the carpet. As some of the children leaped to the rescue and we sponged up the mess, Josiah remarked that we could be grateful that the kombucha didn't explode on my Chromebook!

I've noticed an unfortunate tendency in myself as a guide, which is that I am affected easily by the emotional and relational fluctuations in the room. If something has gone awry in the afternoon, I go to the staff meeting wanting to vent about it, or go home feeling defeated. I allow that one thing to cloud the truth and beauty of the rest of the day, and forget the good that God is bringing out of even (especially?) the harder moments. Just like the children, I need a conscious reminder to give thanks in EVERYTHING, and to turn my eyes away from what is missing to what is already there.

So here are a just a few reminders to myself -- some of the many moments this week that deserve my real focus -- that may bless you as well.

• Caroline telling me, "Mom, ever since the break when I was missing my classmates so much, I've really started seeing them more as Stradivariuses." [A reference to a launch about how each of them is more valuable and precious than a Stradivarius violin.]
• Ben explaining to our visiting child what a session is: "It's six weeks of school." Me: "And Ben, what happens at the end of the six weeks?" Ben: "We have to take a break. It's horrible." (!) Murmurs of general assent from the class. Genevieve: "I know, I was SO BORED without you guys over the break!" [I can't imagine too many schools where a conversation like this takes place!]
• The loud cheering and big hugs when Cyrus and Milam walked into Thursday morning launch a few minutes late after being out sick for two days after the break. 
• Aliya and Abigail mentioning our visiting child being a highlight of the week for them. 
• The rush to fill the jar of Character Call-outs on Thursday afternoon. 
• Gage running to check on a younger boy who was hurt during GaGa.

The math, spelling, grammar and writing are happening. But perhaps more importantly, they are learning through ups and downs to love one another, and for that I am truly grateful. 

(DEAR time reading buddies)