Get 'Em Thankful
We all have students who are down in the dumps about their lives from time to time. Since the beginning of summer I’ve been reaching out to a Freshman student in our ministry. He’s a great guy, but feels his life is pretty tough. Over the past few weeks he’s been opening up to me about issues.
Tonight I decided to start the process of attitude adjustment on him. The fact is that he has everything he could ever need (shelter, family, friends, food, basic necessities, and MUCH more). He needs to begin to be thankful for what he has. Tonight instead of opening the door for his newest list of woes, I asked what he’s thankful for. He couldn’t think of anything. I listed items for him and still nothing seemed to fit into that column for him.
Borrowing an idea from Oprah Winfrey (who I am not particularly fond of), I challenged him to begin a journal of things he is thankful for each day. When he is down in the dumps, he needs to read that journal to put his life into perspective. This student is so far from being thankful that this concept is about as foreign to him as a etiquette is to a raging bull.
Starting with some encouragement, I’m going to try to get this guy to change his outlook on life and learn to count his blessings and honor his Creator. As I left him tonight I reinforced his need to create a thankfulness journal and will continue to ask him for what he’s thankful for when I see him in the future. Students with a negative outlook on life need help seeing the good side of life.
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Filed under: Ministry Lessons
