So I know Thanksgiving was a couple days ago but I just have to express some things I'm grateful for. After reading this talk by Elder Wirthlin, I realized a lot of things I am especially grateful for and are in need of improvement in my life. Wirthlin mentions three ways to live in Thanksgiving daily: opening your eyes, opening your heart, and opening your arms.
He further explains that when we open our eyes we appreciate the things we take for granted every day...family members, being able to breathe, nature....there are so many things that we fail to appreciate just because we see them everyday or we think they'll always be around. We need to be better and appreciating the little things that make life so great.
When we open our hearts we let go of hurtful feelings that weigh us down and keep us from reaching our full potential. Our hearts should be used to love others, ourselves, and most importantly our Heavenly Father.
And lastly when we open our arms we are using our time to love and serve others. Life is about the people in our lives and how we treat them. We must appreciate those in our lives and treat everyone as teachers who are teaching us ways to be better. We need to try our best to give our time to serve those in need as well...it is so easy to fall into our busy lives and forget about those who are in need but we MUST do everything we can to serve those around us. Wirthlin said: "Every time we cheer another’s heart, every time we ease another’s burden, every time we lift a weary hand, we show our gratitude to that God to whom we owe all that we have and all that we are." Oh I just miss this man.
I am grateful. I am so blessed in my life and know I have so many things I take for granted every DAY but I hope I can do more to show my gratitude. I love this gospel, I love my family, I love my friends...I am grateful I am able to get an education and live in a country where we are able to have so many freedoms...I am grateful for good people who I am able to learn from and pattern my life after...I am grateful for my dogs I really REALLY love them a lot. I'm grateful for a home, food, so many necessities of life that I am so lucky to have. Most importantly I am grateful for a Savior who died for me and everyone...who truly is my best friend. He loves us more than we can comprehend and I feel so blessed to know of his life and his teachings so I can try the best I can to become like Him. I know he lives and loves us and can provide the comfort we need in our world full of evil.
One last quote that I really loved was: "As we strive to open our eyes, hearts, and arms, our step will become a little lighter, our smile will become a little brighter, and the darkness that sometimes broods over our lives will become a little lighter...Be grateful. Every day is a new canvas—a new opportunity. Don’t wait to start. Open your eyes, open your hearts, and open your arms."
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
