“There is no greater evidence of faith than the virtue of genuine thanksgiving.”
– excerpted from Streams in the Desert
This last weekend I went camping. We camped with six families, twenty kids in all. Minivans were stuffed to the gills with unnecessary “necessities.” We kicked off the summer as so many do…in traffic. We drove to the local mountains to a campsite adjacent to Lake Arrowhead. For the duration of our stay it rained…all day, all night.
We set up our tent at night…in the rain.
We ate our breakfasts, teeth chattering…in the rain.
We scrambled to the bathroom…in the rain.
We have a tent big enough for my whole family. But, only my oldest son was willing to sleep in it with me. Everyone else slept in our minivan. In that first night, having been kept awake by the constant fear that we were going to be washed clear into San Bernadino by a rogue flash flood, and as I swore under my breath that this was the final camping trip the Maguire family would ever take, something dawned on me.
My kids were having a blast. So were the other seventeen kids. They were soaked — every inch of them: shoes, socks, pants, shirts, sweatshirts, all of it, drenched. Every kid in each of the families melted their shoes on the fire attempting to warm their feet. But, not one of them complained. All of the parents stood staring at the fire, wondering why we were there, longing for a better cup of coffee (nice try Starbucks Via). But, the kids were inventing games. They decided to hold a skit/talent show next to our campsite. They played in the tall trees. They hid in the misty fog. They laughed. They were having the time of their lives.
My kids found a thankfulness in plans gone awry. While I found the very bland practice of complaining, the kids discovered the virtue of genuine thanksgiving. They had so much fun in the rain, they believed everything went exactly as we had planned it. So, like any good father, I took credit for their joy and told them they were welcome…and to remove their now melting Nikes from the burning coals of the fire.
So, we’ll camp again. But, not for awhile.
This Sunday, we’ll launch a new series that will be great for inviting friends, especially those who are curious about Jesus, called Listen. I’m looking forward to being with all of you and meeting those you’ve invited.
See you Sunday,
Jeff
