A Heart of Thankfulness
By: Lincoln Li | Outreach Worker in Flemingdon Park
Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever. This phrase can be found in worship songs and various books in the Bible as a theme or a paraphrase. A quick search would lead you to Psalm 107, Psalm 118, and Psalm 136. Personally, my attitude is not geared towards thankfulness, rather it is one of criticism and borderline pessimism. However, taking the time to journal and meditate on a Bible passage does help with aligning my heart towards a heart of thankfulness to God. It also brings me into a place of humility, surrender, and awe.
If I were asked, “What is something you are thankful for this week?” It would be easier to think about all the things that went wrong, as opposed to the good. Our hearts are so finicky that we have made a standard of what a good thing ought to be and ought to look like. Anything that falls short of what we imagined to be good defaults to a bad or overall dissatisfaction. It is also easy to miss God’s bigger picture while we focus on our tiny pixel.
I am thankful for the relationships built at Flemingdon Park through the formal programs that take place there, and also through spending time with the kids and youth during our off times. If I would solely focus on the negatives, here are a few. Through each turnover of staff, there is the inevitable loss of relationships. Through the COVID transitions of lockdowns and going online resulted in further losing a few more relationships with children and families. Due to being online, there was a lack of community amongst the children and youth. Some were less engaged online and some chose not to show up. Lastly, sometimes I wonder how God can grow these kids and youth?
However, God is good and gracious. He provided for us in terms of children. He has sustained the previous family relationships from previous outreach workers that carried over to us. Through lockdown, we have gotten to know the families a lot better and friendships were created. There were times we reconnected with children and youth that we have not seen in a long while. The children have created their own community when we met in person for day camp this year. Friendships and hanging out continued and now they are all friends with one another. Kids and youth want to come and hang out for after-school programs. Lastly, God has grown our kids and youth. There are a few who have displayed leadership qualities. There are some who have grown in patience and there are some who have grown in their capacity to be kind. Sometimes, this verse comes to mind despite these situations not being “harmful” and such but just focus on the overall message. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.’ Genesis 50:20. It’s a reminder of God’s Sovereignty in Joesph’s life, Joseph’s family, and the Israelites, despite the unfortunate circumstances of being sold, imprisonment, and famine.
Through the big and the small, I am humbled to see God’s hand in each moment, and for that, I am thankful. It was once thankfulness based on results, but now it has changed to a thankfulness that stems from knowing God’s presence in every situation and being content in His Sovereignty.