Watch your attitude and
always show your gratitude
Cinda Nethercott / ga11132007


 

I was searching for a fun idea to incorporate into a sharing time about thankfulness and came up with a cute idea. I read the children's book "Scarecrow" by Cynthia Rylant and thought it was so cute. It was a fun fall topic. The scarecrow in the book is so happy with his situation and it touched me that he had an "attitude of gratitude". After talking to the children about the commandment to thank the Lord in all things I discussed the ten leper story from the New Testament.  Then I told them they should always be watching for opportunities to give thanks - either verbally or by serving. Then I went into how a scarecrow is always WATCHING, always doing his job with a smile and then I summarized my thoughts on the book (below). 

The junior primary then colored a cute paper to hang up at home that had a smiling scarecrow and read:  Scarecrows are great at watching... so watch your attitude and always show gratitude. 

For Senior primary instead of coloring we then played a thankful game. I posted a scarecrow on the chalkboard and had leaves all around him.  On the back of the leaves I put different things that one child at a time had to think of some way to be thankful for and give thanks in all things!!!  There were some easy things like my family, country, etc... and some hard things like bugs, night, etc...
 

How are scarecrows the thankful sort

- A scarecrow has a job to do and doesn’t complain about it no matter what the weather. He is thankful that he has an important job to do and that he is good at it. 

- A scarecrow does his work silently and is a gentle reminder to birds to find food somewhere else. His gentleness shows he is serving with love and thankfulness.

- A scarecrow can watch the miracle of big plants growing from tiny seeds, clouds rolling by, rain falling, wind blowing ripples through the leaves and grass, witness a caterpillar transform into a butterfly, and can see the sun set and rise again. He is thankful for the creations of nature and the outdoors.

- A scarecrow can get wobbly on its post and may even fall over but can be readjusted and never lose his smile. He is thankful someone would notice that he needed their help.

Like this scarecrow we should be THANKFUL for our situation in life and have a happy heart.  He cannot express it with words but we can.

- REMEMBER THIS…We are always being watched over, and of course not by a scarecrow in a field, but by a loving and powerful Heavenly Father.
 

WATCH YOUR ATTITUDE--- SHOW YOUR GRATITUDE!!!