Dear Parents,

If you are anything like me, you have certainly experienced some ups and downs, high and lows, over the past several weeks. Whether it’s the news, rollercoaster weather, or following team Canada at the Olympics, we have experienced a number of events that keep our emotions on edge. How do we deal with all these things?

Our Grade 5 class had a very insightful response to this: we need an Attitude of Gratitude. When we have those low moments, our defalt attitude tends to be complaining. In our humanness, it is so easy to grumble, to find comfort in pity, or to generally resort to a negative demeanour in those moments. How easily we forget the good that God has given us and focus on the challenges at hand.

A great illustration of this are the Israelites in the book of Exodus. After a dramatic exit from Egypt in which God did miracle after miracle, the Isrealites face the challenge of the Red Sea and they complain. God once again performs a miracle, as the Israelites walk through the Red Sea and watch their enemies drown behind them. Further down the road, they become hungry and thirsty only to resort to complaining once again. Time and again, God shows up in supernatural ways, yet they forget and complain.

So how can we fix this? During chapel, we did a practical exercise that went like this: Sometimes I complain about… Instead I should be grateful that…. In my case, I reflected that sometimes I complain about being frequently woken up in the middle of the night by little people hopping up in bed next to me. Instead, I should be grateful for the beautiful gift of children and the fact they still want to cuddle up next to me. What is something that you feel challenged about today that would convert a complaint into gratitude?

Finally, we also explored a key formula to living a life of gratitude that is pleasing to God. When we pray and add in thanksgiving, this will equal a life of peace. What a challenge for us to apply this formula daily to our lives. May we as the Trinity community be known for cultivating an attitude of gratitude and living lives that bring praise to God.

Sincerely,
J-D Lussier, Principal