Gratitude for Life's Blessings

Tonight I had the opportunity to speak at the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service with the churches of Littleton. It was really nice and I enjoyed hearing others speak. Although kind of nerve wracking, I was glad I had the opportunity to give a small talk.
I've decided to post it up here for others who weren't there, or perhaps missed some things with my habit of talking too fast in front of large groups (I apologize). You'll find it down below.

Tonight I would like to start with a quote by President Gordon B. Hinckley, prophet of the LDS church, who once said, “When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives.” I like this quote because it's very true. Gratitude enables us to focus on all that is good, instead of all that is bad. It is not prideful and believing you are better. It is thanking the Lord and being humble. People enjoy being around those who are more positive, instead of those that focus on the negative. And those who are grateful tend to be happier. 

Many of us know well the story of the loaves and fishes. In Matthew 15:33, Christ’s disciples said "...Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness as to fill so great a multitude?" When Christ asked how many loaves they had, they responded with, “seven, and a few little fishes.” Christ then commanded the multitude of 4,000 to sit. In verse 36 it reads, "And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude." After this, every mouth was fed from these few loaves and fishes. This story is one of my favorites from the Bible, not only because of the miracle that occurred, but also because in this story, we see Jesus Christ giving thanks for what they had. Christ is our example and we strive to be more like Him. He gave thanks, and we must too.  

It's easier to see everything we've been given when life is going well. On the other hand, seeing life’s blessings and being grateful is much harder when we are going through something hard. C.S Lewis once said, “Life with God is not immunity from difficulties, but peace in difficulties.” In times of trial, I have found that relying on the Lord helps me be grateful and see the blessings in my life. It isn’t always easy though. Some days I will still see all that is wrong and feel like there is not too much to be grateful for. But, I have had experiences where the tender mercies of the Lord remind me of what I should be grateful for, and what He has blessed me with. I have shared the following story several times, but the impact it has had on my life is incredible, and one I will never forget. During a year of one big thing after another, I felt very alone and I didn't feel very hopeful. One time I was coming back from a conversation with my mother, who was a guidance counselor at my school. After we talked, I was starting to feel better and a little more hopeful, but my problems weren't ones that could be fixed immediately, so I still felt pretty down and lonely. When I got to my next class, my friend pointed to a seat next to him and said, “Maggie! Sit here!” with this smile on his face. It was a kind, simple gesture, where I felt God’s love and knew that I wasn’t alone. I felt tears start to fill my eyes. I was, and still am, grateful for my friend and that moment. It might seem silly and small to others, but it was exactly what I needed. I have been grateful for the Lord’s tender mercies through hard times, because they are a reminder of all that is still good. The Lord watches out for us and we are never alone. If we rely on Him and have faith, and remember to be grateful for the blessings we have received, we can have joy and find peace, even when things are hard. We must find the good in the bad. Through Him we can do this and be blessed.

I have a blog that was inspired by the quote, “When life gets blurry adjust your focus.” In my posts I want to focus on the positive things, even well life gets a little blurry. I have found that focusing on the good and the blessings I have received has really helped me have a better outlook on life. Even when I have a bad day and something might not be going how I want it to go, I think of my blog and it has really helped me focus more on being grateful and having a better attitude. For me, that’s part of what gratitude is. It’s having a good outlook and being positive. When we do this, we can see our blessings come into focus. 

Everyday I believe that we can find something good. We can see the many blessings in our life that have been given to us. I am grateful for the holiday season that allows us to focus more on being grateful and giving thanks. I hope that we can carry this attitude with us throughout our everyday lives, even when the new year comes. I have a testimony that when we give thanks for our blessings, we will be happier, have peace, and continue to be blessed. I love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and the blessings they have given me.

On top of that, I would like to add that I am really grateful for my family. Everyone is home for Thanksgiving which is wicked exciting. I haven't seen my brothers or sisters-in-law for a long time. And David will be home in a little more than a couple of weeks, which is literally so exciting. I'm just grateful for all that they've done. I've been extremely blessed to have such a wonderful family. I'm also grateful for my friends. They teach me a lot and it's always good to know there are some other people outside of my family that I can rely on. I'm grateful for the gospel and the hope that it has given me. Really I'm just grateful for life. It hasn't been an easy one, but then again, no one's really is. Still, I feel fortunate everyday.
On the left is yet another quote, but I do like it. It applies to everyone of faith or not. It also goes along with what I mentioned beforehand about those who are grateful tend to be happier. They find the joy in life. And it's not always easy to do that. Like I said too, sometimes I just don't see something to be thankful for. I can be negative and complain. I'm not perfect. This blog helps keep me in check. I have found myself being negative and I think of what this whole thing is really about and I tell myself to adjust my focus (as also quickly mentioned above). It's been a huge help.
I feel blessed to have the opportunity to share my testimony with others. I enjoy doing so. I'm not trying to force anyone to believe what I believe and know to be true, but rather be an example and just try to be the best that I can be to everyone I encounter.
As always, thanks for reading! :)
---Maggie