our "loyal friend's" coat... Hopefully I can get him looking like this in a few weeks... (without so much emotional trauma to both of us... he hates the sound of the clippers near his face and ears.)
It seems a small thing, but one of the things that my parents did a lot of (and so in turn taught us their children to do by example, although this lesson is a lifetime quest...) was acknowledging the efforts of others around them. They always thanked each other verbally for kindnesses and they thanked us as children when we completed assignments for them, or the family... This was more than just politeness though... they were completely appreciative of every effort and service. Even when I was very young, I remember hearing my dad thank my oldest brother for completing a chore that was part of his daily list... it wasn't every day... but the thank-yous happened often enough that I know it was a regular event... And I remember daddy and momma squeezing the other's hand at the dinner table pretty often when one of them would thank the other for something that was a necessity. Dad always made a fuss over a simple meal... Mom always thanked dad profusely when he carried the dirty laundry into the garage where the washing machine was... Because of that I believe they spent a lot of time trying to "outdo" one another... Dad would surprise mom by sweeping the floor before she could "get to it"... she would pack an extra goody in his lunches... daddy was always very thin and keeping weight on him was a chore at times mom used to say... but I think it was one of those little things she just loved having an excuse to do...
These small acts remind me of the scriptural references that we are given which encourage us to have gratitude for everything, and to do the small things that are necessary to have the spirit with us. The small things we are asked to do within a gospel setting are thought of as too simple by some people to be important (FHE, family prayers, etc...) and yet they are the things that keep the spirit alive within our homes.
By the same token, small things such as a genuine thank-you can go a long way to keeping marital "fences" in good repair, and once I start expressing gratitude, the act is contagious... it becomes a "desire" very quickly in fact... a good "desire". I believe from experience in my own marriage that these small acts of gratitude especially verbal thank-yous are like seeds that grow within us AND others... filling our marriages and families with "grateful roots" that form a foundation to rest on during good times... and "ground stability" for the more difficult times, which always come.
The next time you are feeling that things are not going as well as you would like in your marriage or family relationships... look at how often you say thank you to those around you and especially your spouse, if you have one... I'll just bet you are low on your "gratitude meter"...
At least in my own life that is always true.
Each year I read the Book of Mormon, (that's been a personal goal for me for quite a few years now...) I find that each year I take that personal challenge, I do it in a little different way. A few years ago I taught the Adult Gospel Doctrine Class in our ward for a 4 year rotation, (the closest thing to teaching seminary I will probably get due to my health issues.) During each year I learned so much about each course of study that we had, way more than the class... our lessons featuring the Book of Mormon were no different.
For the last year or so I am again teaching Gospel Doctrine lessons, and my class is the oldest youth class which included Son2 for most of a year. We have few active youth in my class. The kids that come participate well and come prepared to class. All have been brought up in the church, have really great parents and are generally strong in their personal faith... respect the priesthood... etc. I suspect they have questions, and challenges that they don't share readily, way more often than I am aware... but they are really good youth and I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching them.
This year our study has been the Book of Mormon... I have felt a desire to really help my class to touch their personal testimonies of the Book of Mormon. So with that in mind... I took a different personal challenge in my reading. I decided that I would not only "read" the chapters each week, I would "listen" to them, every week... I decided to do this because for me two different parts of my brain are affected when I see and hear the same passages... As I was preparing one particular lesson at the beginning of the year I felt singularly frustrated that I could NOT seem to pull together my thoughts... The lesson plan I had outlined seemed disjointed. I still felt unprepared as we met in class. During the opening prayer the YM that was saying it expressed the thought; "that the class will be able to get out of the lesson what Thou wouldst have us learn and understand. That our questions will be answered." At that point my feelings calmed and as I opened my eyes and looked at the lesson all the areas that those youth needed to discuss that day seemed to be bold on the paper, (except you probably understand that this “bolding” was only for my benefit...) We had a wonderful lesson and the spirit was strong. Afterwards that YM from class came up to me and told me that during the last week his friends at school have been dissing the Book of Mormon, in a very challenging way, (this was around the time Mitt Romney was running for president and political discussions surrounding that usually started these events...) Anyway, he said that in class we covered ALL the areas he was still struggling with, and he just wanted to thank me for being their teacher. He had been praying that that day he would get some insight to the answers for the questions he had, after trying all week to answer them himself through personal study, and seminary...
My testimony pounded in my chest, and seemed to fill my being as I listened to the spirit testify to me that; as I try to do my part to prepare for my lessons, that Heavenly Father will always meet me MORE than half-way!!! I feel humbled that He would trust me with these faithful youth that have His work to do, so soon... I am SO grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and all that it brings into my life.
We are all children of God. He loves us and knows our needs, and He wants us to communicate with Him through prayer. We should pray to Him and no one else. The Lord Jesus Christ commanded, "Ye must always pray unto the Father in my name" (3 Nephi 18:19). As we make a habit of approaching God in prayer, we will come to know Him and draw ever nearer to Him. Our desires will become more like His. We will be able to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that He is ready to give if we will but ask in faith.
