The relationship between fireworks and my two sons has not been great, so far. This dysfunction has obviously been on my mind lately because of the coming holiday. While many of us migrate to the lake, fire up grills, and ready our explosives in celebration of our nation’s independence, in my household our sense of annual dread has begun to set in.
Hyperbole aside, it’s not as bad as I make it sound, at least not for me. A few years ago, when my older son was about four years old, he stepped on a lit sparkler with bare feet. Unsurprisingly, once the burn healed, he was left with two scars: one on his heel and the other in his heart—a lingering suspicion of all things sparkler.
My younger son is now three. He is almost completely fearless with only one significant exception: loud noises. (This is ironic because he is normally the source of the loudest noises in our household.) One of his mightiest acoustic adversaries is the fearsome firework. For the last three years of his life, the nighttime booms in late June and early July have been a source of nightly torment for him, and stress on his behalf for my wife and I.
I’m not sure how both of our boys managed to develop minor, firework-related complexes, but I do recognize that these are light and momentary troubles. The reason I share them is not to complain, but rather to express how beneficial these problems have been for us. Though they are still going through the journey, both of my boys have matured through the process of learning to face and overcome their fears.
One of the ways this has worked best for our family is through the attitude of gratitude. There’s a verse from the Bible that has helped us immensely. It says: “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). There is much value in the main idea of this verse, which says there is a God who loves you and who responds to our prayers and requests for help by sending us peace. I believe this is true. But the author of this verse also adds a vital, yet often (at least for me) overlooked ingredient to our prayers: gratitude.
As it turns out, being thankful is a fantastic way to begin to change the narrative. When we can focus on something good or joyful rather than the thing that frightens us, it brings much needed perspective, even for a three year old. Sometimes that thankfulness is for having mom or dad nearby. Sometimes it’s just knowing that this, too, shall pass.
I hope this July 4th finds you in good spirits. I hope that you and I get to spend a day of fun and celebration with our families and that the easy gratitude of happy times colors every moment we spend together. But I also hope that if this or any season of life finds you anxious and fearful, that you would experience the peace of God as you present to him your prayers with thanksgiving.
Have a great 4th!
Matt Hagsten,
Discipleship Pastor
Chisholm Baptist
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