We live in a world and a society that is fast paced. So much to see and do. So many things to attract and distract our attention. So very many things that pull us away from taking time to reflect on really what a wonderful life we live.
While I pray daily, offering words of thanks for blessings, I sometimes feel that I am not doing justice in expressing my deep gratitude for my life and all that I have.
So in the spirit of what the Psalmist wrote: "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High" Psalms 92:1 I express my gratitude to a loving Heavenly Father who has provided me with a wonderful life. Let me share with you my song of praise for what He has so freely given to me:
- I live in a great country. We may have our problems in the country of ours but I can still enjoy the almost endless freedoms that are ours.
- I was blessed with a great family in my growing up years. Parents, while they are no longer living on this earth, I still feel their influence in my life. The love and caring they provided me with can not be expressed in mere words. I could not have been blessed with a better mother and father. I have such wonderful brother and sisters who have each in their own way helped mold and shape me into what I am. The love and concern they have shown me over these many years is one of the most precious things I can think of.
- I have been blessed with a wonderful, loving and supportive wife. She is a true "companion" in every sense of the word. How I love my children. Each one so unique. Each one loves me for who I am, even with my faults. I feel that their love for me is so great that I do not see how it could be possible for me to return to them that same measure of love. I have been blessed with four granddaughters who have certainly made my life complete. To me there is nothing better in this world than to hear my grandchildren call me grandpa. It is a title that I value highly.
- I am grateful that I live in a home that brings me such comfort. I feel so fortunate to live in a day and time where we have homes that are air conditioned. I can not imagine living in the heat of our Yuma with out some way to cool our homes. I can not understate how thankful I am for the comforts of life that I enjoy in our day.
We live in a day and time where our lives have been made simple by all of the innovations and technology that has been developed. Isn't it wonderful? Over the course of my life I have seen so many things become available to us to make our lives easier and more fulfilling. I can not imagine what it will be like in the next 25 years. We truly live in an exciting time.
So after writing this, my thoughts turn to the simple fact that I have been given so much. I do need to be better at daily expressing to my Father-in-Heaven my deep gratitude for what I have been given. To take a short passage from the Book of Mormon: "...live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you." Alma 34:38
May I do better, moving forward, in making every day a thanksgiving day.
Submitted by: James Tanner
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