One quote has been swirling in my mind the last few days, "I do not know of any, excepting the unpardonable sin, that is greater than the sin of ingratitude." -Brigham Young
Now, that is pretty straightforward, but it was never in President Young's nature to mince words. I have thought long and hard about this quote and what it means for me. If the sin of ingratitude is so great, then the virtue of gratitude is also great--in the opposite direction!
Having a feeling of gratitude in your Spiritual Preparedness Toolbox is a must! I think that counting our blessings when things gets hard helps us to keep things into perspective and helps us realize that our Heavenly Father loves us and gives us tender mercies to be grateful for, if we only look for them.
Today I am grateful for a beautiful sunset, a happy stack of quilts I picked up from the quilter, kids who love and take care of each other, the opportunity to see a friend participate in his first temple endowment, great advances in medical care, dear ward sisters who love and take care of me, feelings of peace from my Heavenly Father, and much, much more.
I know that this time of the year is the time to be extra-grateful, but I encourage you to use this time to truly develop that "attitude of gratitude" that will be sustaining year-round. No matter how hard life seems, there is always something to be grateful for.
I challenge you to find even little things you are grateful for. Make a habit of thinking of your blessings each and every day and thanking the Lord for the small and simple tender mercies that make our lives even just a bit brighter. Include this gratitude in your prayers and remember to always say "thank you." I promise, it will make things better.
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