An Attitude of Gratitude

November-- the month where everyone is either writing a novel, hairy for mens health, or thankful for one thing every day.

Today, I'm going to talk about the last. Gratitude.

President David O. McKay said, “Gratitude is deeper than thanks. Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts”

That really speaks to me. I'm a pro at finding things that I'm thankful for. I have a whole notebook full of things and people, big and small. Everything from the Atonement down to toilet paper. I am thankful for every single on of them. I'm thankful for every blessing given to me and when I'm going through a trial, I can play the "Glad Game" with them best of them. 

But am I showing gratitude? 

No. 

As President McKay stated, gratitude is shown in actions. Like, the lepers in the New Testament. All ten of them were healed and went forth. And I'm SURE that all of them were thankful they were healed. But the one that came back,  that Samaritan who knelt at the feet of a Jew, was the one who was showing his gratitude. 

Am I saying that we should all be kneeling at each other's feet all the time? Of course not. There are lots of ways that we can show our gratitude to others and, most especially, to The Lord. We can show gratitude through thoughtful prayer, through service to others, paying or tithing, and even through song. Have you ever heard the lyrics to "For the Beauty of the Earth" before? Here, I'll put them here so you can see them. 

1. 1. For the beauty of the earth,
   For the beauty of the skies,
   For the love which from our birth
   Over and around us lies,
2. (Chorus)
   Lord of all, to thee we raise
   This our hymn of grateful praise.
3. 2. For the beauty of each hour
   Of the day and of the night,
   Hill and vale, and tree and flow'r,
   Sun and moon, and stars of light,
4. 3. For the joy of human love,
   Brother, sister, parent, child,
   Friends on earth, and friends above,
   For all gentle thoughts and mild,
   
   
   There. If you read the words you see that this hymn is in fact, a prayer. A prayer of gratitude and praise for everything that has been created for us. The earth ad everything on it, family units, even the love shared in friendships is shared in this song. And there are many more like it. 
   
   
   -- "Because I Have Been Given Much I too Must Give." <-- we just talked about how service to others is a grateful action
   
   
   -- "God of Our Fathers"
   -- "Come Ye Thankful People Come"
   -- "Count Your Many Blessings"
   
   
   I'd like to talk a moment about this last one I've mentioned. Here are the words:
   
   
   1. 1. When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed,
      When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
      Count your many blessings; name them one by one,
      And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
   2. (Chorus)
      Count your blessings;
      Name them one by one.
      Count your blessings;
      See what God hath done.
      Count your blessings;
      Name them one by one.
      Count your many blessings;
      See what God hath done.
   3. 2. Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
      Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
      Count your many blessings; ev'ry doubt will fly,
      And you will be singing as the days go by.
   4. 3. When you look at others with their lands and gold,
      Think that Christ has promised you his wealth untold.
      Count your many blessings; money cannot buy
      Your reward in heaven nor your home on high.
   5. 4. So amid the conflict, whether great or small,
      Do not be discouraged; God is over all.
      Count your many blessings; angels will attend,
      Help and comfort give you to your journey's end.
   6. Text: Johnson Oatman, Jr., 1856-1922
      
      
      Have you ever thought about how you feel when you are showing gratitude? That good feeling you get when you are truly thankful for something, instead of just saying thanks to someone to be polite? I submit that the fastest way to find happiness is to find the things to be thankful for and express true and sincere gratitude for them. Because by recognizing our blessings, we remember that we are not alone, and our hearts are turned to the Savior. Who is the source of all joy and love. In D&C 78:18-19 it says, 
      
      
      "And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.
      And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more."
      
      
      I am going to try and be more grateful. Not thankful, grateful. I look at myself now and I see the other 9 lepers. I want to be the 1 who came back. I want to express my gratitude with my whole-heart to my Savior every single day, not just in November when there is a promise of Turkey. :) So if I don't see you again before it, Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I hope that we can all become closer to the One. 

Live in Thanksgiving

Well, here we are again, it's November First and most of the people in this country are nursing some sort of Hangover, whether it's Alcohol, Sugar or something else, it's happening. Adults are putting away Halloween and starting to think about their Christmas card list. Stores have Halloween candy on sale for 50%off and are setting up their Christmas displays (if they haven't already. Kids are thinking about how awesome Last night was, how much candy they hauled in and what Christmas wishes they want to put in their letters to Santa. And then they all remember almost collectively around the middle of the month when a kids brings home a flyer about their schools food drive, "Oh yeah! There's another holiday to get through still!" Guess we had better get the turkey and stuffing. I'll ask Aunt Linda to make her famous Pumpkin Pie. Maybe Cousin Margo will bring the cranberry sauce, Where will we put everyone? Should we have a kids table?" Completely forgetting the purpose of Thanksgiving in the first place! To these people, nay, to people everywhere I have one word.

Stop. (Collaborate and listen...:))

To those people that believe that Thanksgiving is to mark the day that the pilgrims were saved from starvation I say, Close, but no cigar.

And to those of you that happen to think thanksgiving is all about gorging yourself until you can't fasten your pants the next day and watching football on TV... Sigh...

I bet most of you don't even know how Thanksgiving became a National Holiday or that it wasn't one until Abraham Lincoln was President during the Civil War. (Not that that's the purpose, but I'm just saying, many people don't know that information and I totally did. :))

None of those things are important. The purpose of Thanksgiving is to (hold on to your hats because this might be shocking) GIVE THANKS. *gasp*

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints I learn a lot about Gratitude and how many ways one can express "an attitude of gratitude" (I'm sure many other Christian denominations do as well, but I don't go to those churches, I go to mine. :)) And let me tell you, there are many ways of showing gratitude, and one of those ways is by giving service. Why? because when we take the time to serve others we NOTICE our blessings more, but I want to know why it is that we as humans have to serve and then notice our blessings, why can't it be the other way around? And why does this "Attitude of Gratitude" and the Friday after the fourth Thursday of November every year when we put up our Christmas Decorations or that weekend when the thanksgiving leftovers are all gone?

May each of us learn this month how to live in Thanksgiving daily and develop an attitude of gratitude.