Thankful Every Moment

By Communications Fellow Isabella Ventura ‘23

“We are each given 86,400 seconds in a day. That is 86,400 moments.” 

Thursday morning, November 17, Head of School Dr. Don Davis spoke to SBS students, parents, and over 400 visiting grandparents at the annual Thanksgiving Praise Service. The gathering kicked off with impassioned worship as a team of students, faculty members and church staff offered their voices to melodies of praise. Afterwards, the audience remained charged with this contagious energy and sat eager to hear Dr. Davis’ words.

After delivering the enlightening statistic above, Dr. Davis emphasized this year’s theme of #SBSmoments. This communal goal presented to the school involves being present every second and seizing every opportunity—embracing each moment. Then, Dr. Davis took his message a step further, challenging listeners with the questions, “What are we to fill our time with?” and “What should we do with the moments of our lives?”

The inquiry he presented was complex, yet he offered a memorable response. Referencing I Thessalonians 5:16-18, he asserted that God mentions three things that should fill every moment of our lives: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Dr. Davis emphasized his understanding of the difficulty of decision-making; he acknowledged seniors making a college decision, or parents seeking a career change. He stressed that, as recorded in Scripture, “God tells us His will for our lives and what He expects of us each moment of our lives.”

God has told us to fill our moments with:

• Joy–we should rejoice always.
• Prayer–we should pray continually
• Gratitude—we should give thanks in all circumstances.

This Thanksgiving season, it is crucial to remember these words when visiting family and friends, enjoying the cooling weather and (for many students) catching up on sleep. As Dr. Davis highlighted, in every moment of our lives, we should remember to “choose joy always, pray continually and give thanks in everything.”