A Little More on Gratitude

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Read Part 1 here...

"Isaiah 11:6 says, “And a little child shall lead them…”  I am reminded of the prayers of my own children when they were young.  They would often say things like, “Thank you for our matchbox cars, for bugs, milkshakes and butterflies.”  Their young, innocent spirits still could recognize all the God given gifts in the world around them.  As an adult, I have found that my prayers of thanksgiving often become rote, maybe saying things like, “Thank you for our many blessings” but never actually spending the time naming them one by one.  Perhaps a meaningful mother’s prayer could include gratitude for the car noises her young son makes or for butterfly kisses from her daughter.  In the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, Ann reflects on an epiphany she has.  She is a farmers wife and a homeschooling mama.  She works all day long.  Standing before her 3^rd sink of dishes of the day she is feeling tired and despondent.  In that moment, the sun reflects on the bubbles in the sink and she sees the rainbows and a display of bright colors.  She realizes that even in the mundane task of washing dishes that the Father blesses us and she gave thanks. 

Elder Wirthlin states that “Our minds have a marvelous capacity to notice the unusual.  However the opposite is true as well:  The more often we see the things around us-even the beautiful and wonderful things – the more they become invisible to us.  Because we see things so often, we see them less and less.”  End of quote.    Robert Louis Stevenson wrote, “The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life.” End of quote.  The opposite of Thanksgiving is ingratitude or apathy.  Apathy to our blessings creates greed, resentment, jealousy, covetous living, dissatisfaction, depression and as some prophets have said is a very serious sin.  Apathy is like a cancer eating away at our soul.  When we can’t open our eyes to our God given blessings, not expressing thanks, then we are living empty lives not filled with the capacity for true joy.  An Author wrote "Both abundance and lack of abundance exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities.  It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend...When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present-love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us happiness-the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth." End of quote.   

Let us not forget to thank the Lord daily.  As a popular hymn tells us, “When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, count your many blessings name them one by one  and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.  Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?  Count your many blessings every doubt will fly, and you will be singing as the days go by.  When you look at others with their lands and gold, Think that Christ has promised you his wealth untold.  Count your many blessing money cannot buy, your reward in heaven nor your home on high.  So amid the conflict, whether great or small do not be discouraged, God is over all.  Count your many blessing, angels will attend, help and comfort gives you to your journey’s end. “ Alma 34:38 says “…Humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth and that ye live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessing which he doth bestow upon you. “  The Lord makes us a promise in D&C 78:19 , “And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.”

Some ways that we can show gratitude to our Heavenly Father besides the obvious Thanksgiving in prayer are.

• Choosing not to complain
• Being good stewards of our possisions and people
• Writing Thank you notes and expressing gratitude to others
• Enjoying the little moments and not letting them slip by unnoticed
• And Making lists

To be continued....................

**Originally published on 11/27/2012**