Written by: Gloria Lau | Intern at Kingston-Galloway
It is not uncommon that we focus on negativity and we hear complaints everywhere we are—complaints about the high prices for products at stores, about coworkers at the office, about heavy traffic on freeways, the list is unending. I am guilty of this at times as well. Reflecting back on the past few weeks at camp, I have been shifting my focus towards things that hold meaning, having a positive outlook and a heart of gratitude regardless of the situation.
So often we fall into the trap of clouding our minds with things that don’t hold up to our standards or that bother us. But what if we had a little more empathy and thought about how the receiver of this complaint would feel? How about the people who are living in situations that cannot conform to their needs? Working at TCM this summer and serving a community where many low income families reside made me feel ashamed for the small things that I deemed were bothersome. I was humbled by how welcoming the neighbours were despite how loud or rowdy the camp was at times. I was humbled by the fact that many people would stop by and initiate conversations to get to know us better. I was humbled by their generosity despite the fact that many of them did not have much to give. Although they could have complained about our activities, ignored our presence, and kept their belongings to themselves, they instead appreciated the work we did to serve the community and allow the kids to have fun—a much needed boost in positivity during a global pandemic.
Moments that have stuck with me from camp are moments when I decided to look towards positivity and the good. Despite being unsure of how my activities or bible lessons could spark interest in kids who may have never heard about who God is, I was able to see God working in different ways, and this motivated me to do my best each day regardless of the challenges.
And although there were definitely days where some children were easily irritated or unwilling to participate in the activities we took so much time to plan, it was the few children that were willing to engage, who said they had fun, or learned something new, that made everything worthwhile.