I love to travel, and one time my family went
Escalante in Utah. We camped, and one of
the days the eight of us just went driving, no goal in mind. But we reached the point where there was no
paved road, phone service, or other people anywhere. And it was spectacular. I remember thinking that this place was like heaven. Mountains loomed around us beneath an array
of billowing clouds, a whole spectrum of earth tones as if God himself had
knelt down to streak his paintbrush across the rock before splattering it with
vegetation and literally unfolding the work into this sea of mountains so far
out that they disappeared into mist.
Note- Photo doesn't even begin to capture the real view
It was a really,
really neat experience. And while I was
in the car, I really got to thinking.
This earth is beautiful. God has
created this realm for us that is absolutely stunning. And not just that, but our Heavenly Father,
for whatever reason, sent us to this exact time in this exact place with all the
exact other circumstances. And for what
he has given me, I need to thank Him.
Knowing my own blood makes me grateful.
My great-great-great
grandma was a Creek Indian born on the Trail of Tears as her parent’s tribe was
forced to leave their homes and travel hundreds of miles because the U.S. government. She later married a Frenchman whose family
had crossed the Atlantic to escape the vicious revolution that did send one of
my other ancestors to the guillotine. On
my dad’s side, people baptized into this church had to leave everything they
had ever known to travel from Denmark to Utah to be with the Saints.
Being appreciative of the sacrifices of my ancestors reminds
me of what blessings I have in my life.
Here, I get to live in a free country with the gospel and a loving
family, while those before me suffered so much.
And even though we all face difficulties, some unfortunately more than
others, I personally want to take what I have and be the glass-is-half-full
type of person.
If you think of the sacrifice Jesus made suffering the pains
of every single person ever to take breath on the earth, it is incredible to
think that He, the Perfect One, would even care. Why would he bleed from every pore for some
sinner like me? Yet he did. And though there is no way I can ever repay
Him, the least I can do I be so, so grateful.
D&C 78:19 says “He who receiveth all things with thankfulness
shall be made glorious.”
Statistics show that people who express gratitude are more
likely to sleep well at night, be more healthy, experience successful
marriages, and be overall more happy.
So really, what’s the harm? By
being thankful, you are also exercising humility, becoming closer to Christ,
the One you owe the most gratitude towards, as you leave behind a little pride
to say “Thank you.”
Also remember that things can change in a split second. You never know when things are gonna slip
from your fingertips, so don’t take them for granted.
So now, I must say that I am grateful to be a
member of the Church. I am grateful for the courage of those fight for freedom
and goodness. I am grateful for family
and friends who so graciously support me.
I am grateful for a roof over my head, food to eat, an education. And most of all, I am thankful for the One
who created this beautiful earth and then died that we might be saved.
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