Gratitude

Forgive me for taking this opportunity to speak about something that is not entirely food related.

I know. I'm nuts.

But I just got off of this amazing week at camp (see here and here to read about the camp), and I wanted to write about something I learned. A note to the disclaimer, there will be food mentioned periodically in this post, so don't you worry.

There is this amazing feeling you get to experience when you have accomplished something. For a cousellor where I work, a Friday brings with it much of this feeling. In fact it comes in bounds; there is enough to go round, believe me. Everyone works so hard from Sunday to Friday, like sprinting a long distance race. We do it because the campers deserve nothing but our very best, and because, with God's strength, we can.




Truthfully we (the counsellors and staff) all know and will admit that we have so much to give when we try, and when given the chance, we show kids real love. So much so, that they never want to leave!


Of course they do, thank goodness.

And Friday comes! And we are soo happy because despite all of the amazing times, we get to head back to normal food and life. You don't understand how removed you can be from civilization until you literally remove yourself from all it usually is, and live in a camp 'bubble'.

It is a brilliant thing this 'bubble', all self-concerning and aloof, but silently powerful. (I don't know many other places where the gospel can be shared to 300 children all in one loving, supportive, 'get to know you--for real' place).

Anyway, what I'm trying to get at (and this is for you food lovies who were promised an entry that qualifies for a place on a food blog), is this feeling that I found to be really prominent at camp: gratitude. Like never before. And what I have realized, is that gratitude makes food taste better.

I know your probably like, huh? How in the world can something taste better when you are really thankful for it? Well I'm here to tell you: it does. Like to a dramatic level.

Last night, my co-counsellor and myself enjoyed one, virtually snuck in, Big Mac each, and let me just say that we have never quite had burgers like these.

Now were the burgers extra juicy? No. Were they especially well dressed? No, not at all. Do we really love McDonald's, so much so that it is our one and only vice? Nope. But we were in heaven with these burgers.

It really get's me thinking: this whole 'taste' thing really has a lot more to do with the experience than I thought! There is no way that these burgers would have tasted the same had we been in a high class resort, after being pampered all day. No, instead we had been working really hard, and hadn't had anything that was 'outside' food for 5 days (a loooong time in camp time).

So it's interesting to me, that to qualify and have the ability to experience this crazy sensation of unsurpassing gratitude and taste sensation, you actually must experience less than 'ideal' situations. You have to be in a place where you are away from the easily accessible craving fillers. You have to make it really hard to get at the food you really want.

So yes, we can be really thankful for things when we get them; truly we can try to be as thankful as possible. But genuine gratitude comes from a deeper place than the words, thank you, can reach. I have found a place in myself that has felt real joy from simpler things, and it came from going without my comforts and sources for joy for a little bit.

By appreciating the taste of food, and the smaller moments in life we can experience this real gratitude everywhere, and more often. I hope you can find this to be true, as I have.