Gratitude
It is human nature, I suppose, to seek elsewhere for our
happiness. Pursuit of career goals, wealth, and material rewards can cloud our
perspective and often leads to a lack of appreciation for the bounteous
blessings of our present circumstances.
It is precarious to dwell on why we have not been given
more. It is, however, beneficial and humbling to dwell on why we have been
given so much.
An old proverb states, “The greater wealth is contentment
with a little.”
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote, “Not that I
speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am,
therewith to be content” (Philip. 4:11).
…
Alma says, “Let thy heart be full of thanks unto God.”(Alma 37:37).The
Lord desires that we give thanks. In Thessalonians we read, “In every thing
give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thes. 5:18).
… [May we] keep our hearts full of thanks and appreciation
for what we have and not dwell on what is not ours. … Let us adopt an attitude
of gratitude in all we do.
From Steven E. Snows talk “Gratitude” (October 2001 General
Conference)
Perhaps one way we can come to appreciate how much we have
been blessed with is to take count of all of the things we have that we no
longer need. Things that can bless others. As
you go about preparing for the Holiday Season the next couple of months, take stock of what you have. Identify items
you no longer need and thank the Lord for blessing you with them. Then, find
a way to pass that blessing on to someone else.
Some suggested places for donating used items or, purchasing them too if
you so desire, are: Deseret Industries, Good Will, Salvation Army, and our own “Our Giving
Tree” page, to name a few.
Let’s use “Our Giving Tree” to help make each other’s
Holiday’s a bit brighter by posting items we need & items we can
donate. Check back often to see if there
is something you can use or a need you can meet.
