Ladera WyldLife: Truly Thankful

Nathan went to work on the Red Velvet cake!

I never know what the Friday before a long break will be like. I didn't know if we would have a smaller group today, if it would be the same, or if kids would be excited or tired or what... but today was awesome! 

Jack and Shane were super bummed they had to eat cake this morning... not!

We had a lot of amazing kids come out this morning, and there was so much energy... it could have had something to do with all the sugar, but who knows!! The game today was inspired by one of the 7th graders, Skylar. Last week Skylar was a little late and the doughnuts were all gone. When we asked him what his favorite doughnut was he told us it was "double fudge cake." Grant was inspired and suggested we play a game called, "Let them eat cake!"

Friday mornings are so great.

Basically, it goes like this: Kids, in groups of 10 or so, sit at a table with a cake in the middle. They are given a dice and when the game starts they must roll the dice. The keep rolling until they roll a 6, then the person who rolled the 6 starts eating the cake. They keep eating until the next person rolls a 6, then that person starts eating and the person eating before stops. 

The girls weren't scared!

The game continues until the cake is gone. Today, some of the cakes were giant, so there was for sure cake left over. I think the halls of LMRS might have some cake crumbs today! I think the 6th grade boys won; they demolished a homemade cake made with love by Grant.

Skylar, bottom left, was the inspiration for this game!

While this game was fun, today was all about being thankful. After the game we broke up into our typical small groups, and looked at several verses in the Bible that give us some things we can be thankful for. 

In a place like South Orange County, and almost anywhere, it can be so easy to see everything we don't have, or everything we want and lose focus on all that we have. I know I am like this often. I love getting into new hobbies, so there is always a laundry list of toys that I want, from new running shoes, to different surfboards and snowboards, I always have a list.

It goes deeper than that though. Often I find myself thinking about all the things I don't have that I think I should have, or that I think I need. More money, a bigger and better place to live, a better car, more for our kids, more time for Candice and I to spend with each other... more, and more, and more.

There was once a cake there.

Thinking too much about what I don't have or what I want is like allowing myself to get sucked into a black hole. It really doesn't do anyone any good, and I find that my attitude becomes worse the longer I think about it. Its natural to have desires and to want things, that's not wrong and I think God enjoys dreaming with us, but when it becomes compulsive, or leads to an overall feeling of entitlement or that what I don't have is more important than what I do have, it can become toxic for my heart.

Earlier this month I watched a movie called, "Ragamuffin," about the life of a singer/songwriter named Rich Mullins. The movie is super low-budget, but the story is wonderful. There was a part in the movie when Rich is being asked about a song he wrote for his wedding day. Rich never got married and the song was called, "Doubly Good to You." The guy asking the question said something to the effect, "How can you say God has been doubly good to you when you never got married?" Rich's said, almost without hesitation, "Well, God doesn't have to be good to me at all, but he is."

This is the amazing thing about God. He doesn't have to care for us, love us, give us gifts or anything else... but he does, and he always will!

The first verse we looked at today was Psalm 136:1-3. The Psalms were prayers and songs that Israel would sing,. They are beautiful and can be a great way for us to interact with God even today. This Psalm goes like this, "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever." No matter what is happening in our lives, we can be thankful for God's love. While love is often thought of in relation to an emotion or desire, this is talking about something deeper. This is talking about a self-sacrificing love that works for the other person's interest. This is the love God has for each of us. It is an active love that is never-ending and extremely powerful.

The second selection of verses came from the book of Psalms again. It was from a Psalm that has been speaking to my heart for a few weeks now, Psalm 139. If you have a chance, I suggest you read it. If you don't have a Bible, you can just click here Psalm 139 or google it. The whole thing is about how deeply God knows us, and how we are made on purpose. The section we looked at dealt with how God is always close, and there is nowhere we can run from him. That God is a God who pursues, always, that he never leaves us, and will follow us even as we walk aways from him... that is something to be thankful for! Its hard to imagine that kind of God, most of us have never known a relationship with another like that, but that is the truth about God. He will never leave, and we can't run from him. Even when it feels as if we are in the dark and God is nowhere to be found, he is right there... even if we start getting angry and doubting him or trying to push him away, he is right there, actively loving us as we are.

So with this in mind some of the groups read Hebrews 13:5, "Keep you lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.'" Why is it so hard to be content sometimes? I know I am not always content, and at times it seems that it isn't possible to be content. At times it seems like being content would be foolish... but what I have to be content in isn't the "stuff" I have, or related to wealth or lack of it, but God's presence and love. That, I have more than I will ever need. 

I don't know how this is hitting you right now, maybe this seems like some sort of "pie in the sky" positive thinking deal. Maybe you don't believe God is loving, that he cares for you personally, or that he even exists. Maybe you are having a really tough year, and it seems what you have lost is leaving such a hole that life seems unmanageable. Or maybe you just really like having nice things and lots of toys... I don't know, but I do know that there isn't enough stuff or things or even people on this planet to truly fulfill a human's desire. We are wired to desire something so great that only the creator of all of creation can fulfill it... and he loves doing so. 

So, if you find yourself ungrateful right now, I hope you don't feel guilty. That is where you are, and God loves you just the same. I would encourage you to try to think about one or two things that you can be thankful for. Being ungrateful is like a prison, it keeps us from experiencing life, but it doesn't take much to escape that prison. Thinking of one thing to be thankful for can change the course, and often lead to other things to be thankful for... and this will lead to a freer way of living, one that feels lighter.

I pray you do come to know and trust the love of God for you this season. I pray you can be thankful that God knows you, loves you like crazy, and will never leave you no matter what. I pray that if you haven't experienced this you open to the possibility that you were made to be in a loving relationship with a Another so much greater than you.

Finally, if you want to talk with your kid about WyldLife this morning, ask them about the cake game, and how much cake they ate, and then ask them about what we talked about being thankful for. I pray and hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that you come to be truly thankful for all that you have.

Giving thanks.