An attitude of gratitude
Today I had done some walking, not enough, but since I had that old familiar gouty feeling in the ball of my foot, I knew that I should be very careful. So, taking the miracle drug Indomethacin, I had made it through the day. So, after watching the Bedlam game, I decided that I was at least going to walk a little. So, shoes on, I headed to the track, thinking that I would also do some bleachers while there.
Boring, right? Well, it is my life. Homework, walking, and some stuff around the house, as well as choir and church. So, I did the bleachers, and as I am hitting the curve of the track, I hear the sound of water. So, over by the old fieldhouse, I see a huge puddle, and more water flowing in. I called the police, (not 911) and they apparently called the school people. One of them showed up, and realizing it was a leak, turned the lights on, to see where it was. He found the leak, and realizing it was underneath concrete, had to turn the water off.
I apologized for him having to come out, and he said there was no need, and thanked me. After all, it would have been a pretty good flood, by the time someone found it, maybe as late as Monday. Not to mention the waste of all that treated water just running out. He thanked me, for having to leave his home, and come out on a Saturday night, and work.
It reminded me of something that happened in Twin. I was going to bed, nearly midnight, and I got a phone call. The fire alarm in the tower was going off, and they didn't have a key to get in. The tower was long since closed, so I threw on some sweats, and drove out there. We went floor to floor, and there was no fire, and more so, the alarms inside were not going off. They apologized to me, that I got up for what seemed no reason, and drove out to the airport. I was grateful to them, for calling. Nothing happened, but it could have. As it turned out, the airport had remapped their alarm system, and didn't relabel it for the fire department. The alarm was in the terminal, just a failed sensor, no fire.
I really had no intent to go to the track, but am glad I did.
How often do we give thanks to those around us, for the things that they do? How often do we stop, and give thanks to God, even when we think we have nothing to thank him for? Or, even more, when we think that everything is going wrong, in spite of us striving to be obedient in all things? How hard is it to be grateful then? It is when we feel most separated from God that we need to not only reach out to ease our burden, but to thank Him for the experience, even if we don't know why.
Why would God allow us to go through pain, and suffering? Is there a God at all? Yes, there is. He is the Father of us all. So, why? Mortality is just a blink of the eye to eternity.
Why not just take all of your child's tasks from them? Especially the hard ones? Instead of testing a student's learning, why don't we just give them a passing grade, and move on? (some say we are already doing that) Children have lessons to learn. Chores teach responsibility. Lessons teach to think, to reason, A child touching a hot stove may get burned, and suffer that pain, but, more than likely, the lesson of the stove will be learned. Remember what God said to Adam, "cursed is the ground FOR your sake" GEN 3:17 KJV, We learn through experience, through adversity. Should we not be grateful in all things?
Joseph Smith Jr. prophet of the restoration, once said that a church that does not demand sacrifice from its members offers no salvation. He also said that we will all be tested in our probation as Abraham was. While we probably will not be asked to kill our child, (there is enough of that already) but it does seem logical. Abraham was obedient, and praised God. The trials we endure are recorded in the book of heaven. They prepare us for our reward.
May we live our lives, grateful for everything that we go through. What more could we strive for?
Boring, right? Well, it is my life. Homework, walking, and some stuff around the house, as well as choir and church. So, I did the bleachers, and as I am hitting the curve of the track, I hear the sound of water. So, over by the old fieldhouse, I see a huge puddle, and more water flowing in. I called the police, (not 911) and they apparently called the school people. One of them showed up, and realizing it was a leak, turned the lights on, to see where it was. He found the leak, and realizing it was underneath concrete, had to turn the water off.
I apologized for him having to come out, and he said there was no need, and thanked me. After all, it would have been a pretty good flood, by the time someone found it, maybe as late as Monday. Not to mention the waste of all that treated water just running out. He thanked me, for having to leave his home, and come out on a Saturday night, and work.
It reminded me of something that happened in Twin. I was going to bed, nearly midnight, and I got a phone call. The fire alarm in the tower was going off, and they didn't have a key to get in. The tower was long since closed, so I threw on some sweats, and drove out there. We went floor to floor, and there was no fire, and more so, the alarms inside were not going off. They apologized to me, that I got up for what seemed no reason, and drove out to the airport. I was grateful to them, for calling. Nothing happened, but it could have. As it turned out, the airport had remapped their alarm system, and didn't relabel it for the fire department. The alarm was in the terminal, just a failed sensor, no fire.
I really had no intent to go to the track, but am glad I did.
How often do we give thanks to those around us, for the things that they do? How often do we stop, and give thanks to God, even when we think we have nothing to thank him for? Or, even more, when we think that everything is going wrong, in spite of us striving to be obedient in all things? How hard is it to be grateful then? It is when we feel most separated from God that we need to not only reach out to ease our burden, but to thank Him for the experience, even if we don't know why.
Why would God allow us to go through pain, and suffering? Is there a God at all? Yes, there is. He is the Father of us all. So, why? Mortality is just a blink of the eye to eternity.
Why not just take all of your child's tasks from them? Especially the hard ones? Instead of testing a student's learning, why don't we just give them a passing grade, and move on? (some say we are already doing that) Children have lessons to learn. Chores teach responsibility. Lessons teach to think, to reason, A child touching a hot stove may get burned, and suffer that pain, but, more than likely, the lesson of the stove will be learned. Remember what God said to Adam, "cursed is the ground FOR your sake" GEN 3:17 KJV, We learn through experience, through adversity. Should we not be grateful in all things?
Joseph Smith Jr. prophet of the restoration, once said that a church that does not demand sacrifice from its members offers no salvation. He also said that we will all be tested in our probation as Abraham was. While we probably will not be asked to kill our child, (there is enough of that already) but it does seem logical. Abraham was obedient, and praised God. The trials we endure are recorded in the book of heaven. They prepare us for our reward.
May we live our lives, grateful for everything that we go through. What more could we strive for?
Comments
Post a Comment