Well I’m so pleased to say that patience and hope have
gotten me through a trial that lasted about seven months and now it’s over! I’m
immensely grateful for current blessings in my life right now. We just found
out we are expecting another baby which is what I have been focusing my prayers
on for quite a while now. It’s easy to feel grateful right now in my life but
what I realize is that gratitude is something we must have during all times of
our lives. Even the hard times. It’s hard to feel grateful when you feel like
your prayers aren’t being answered or that your righteous desire is being
overlooked. I got to a point where it was easier to feel picked on and hurt
instead of looking to understand God’s plan for me. I want to feel grateful for
all things and not just when a specific blessing comes my way.
I decided to look up talks that would help me understand how
I can be better about feeling gratitude during times where it may be hard to
feel grateful and I found a wonderful quote by Elder Uchtdorf. He said, “Sooner
or later, I believe that all of us experience times when the very fabric of our
world tears at the seams, leaving us feeling alone, frustrated, and adrift. It can
happen to anyone. No one is immune. We can be grateful. Everyone’s situation is
different, and the details of each life are unique. Nevertheless, I have
learned that there is something that would take away the bitterness that may
come into our lives. There is one thing we can do to make life sweeter, more joyful,
even glorious. We can be grateful!”. He goes on to add, “It might sound
contrary to the wisdom of the world to suggest that one who is burdened with
sorrow should give thanks to God. But those who set aside the bottle of
bitterness and lift instead the goblet of gratitude can find a purifying drink
of healing, peace, and understanding.”
I want and need to remember that gratitude is not something
I should just feel when something happens that benefits me. Elder Uchtdorf
mentioned something that I found insightful when he said that we can make a
personal choice on whether or not we are going to limit our gratitude based on
the blessings we feel we lack. Or we can choose to have an unfaltering grateful
heart. The choice is ours. We have the power to choose to be grateful in any circumstance
we might find ourselves in. Being grateful might not change the circumstance
but it will change your heart. Not only will it change your heart but it can
also heal you and bring you peace even in the middle of trials. Gratitude if
allowed can be more powerful than disappointment, discouragement and despair. I
made the mistake of waiting to express gratitude until after my prayers were
answered. I could have chosen to express gratitude a month ago, two months ago
and even seven months ago when I got my first negative pregnancy test. I
allowed myself to go through a dark time where I could have been using
gratitude to help me feel the peace that I desperately needed a few months ago.
Being grateful during hard times does not mean that you are happy with the
situation you’re in, but it does mean that you have faith in God and his plan
for you.
Those who are grateful are happier people. I’m grateful that
a few months ago I felt the need to strengthen my relationship with my Heavenly
Father. I’m grateful for the topics I’ve studied (adversity, patience, hope)
because this helped me feel peace in my circumstance and I did feel closer to
my father in heaven. I’m grateful for future topics I will study. I’m grateful
for my husband, my daughter and now soon to be new family member. Life is good.
And in the future if I ever lose sight and think that life is not as good as I
would like, I’ll have to remember that gratitude can be felt in any circumstance
and at any time.
