Gratitude

I loved reading Ether 6 this week and thinking of all the analogies that exist between the Jaredites’ ocean voyage and our own lives. The verses that stood out most to me in this chapter were 8-10. 

That furious wind that god caused (vs. 5) to blow their barges to the promised land, never did cease (vs. 8) and yet they did “thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord.”(vs. 9) Wow. I don’t think I’d be able to find much to be grateful for if I was stuck in a barge-with animals-being tossed in the waves day after day. So I wonder for what were they thanking and praising the Lord during those 344 days? Maybe one thing they gave thanks for was that “they did have light continually, whether it was above the water or under the water” (vs. 10). I think there's a lesson we can learn from those verses. No matter how furiously we're being tossed around in life by trials and challenges, there is always something to be grateful for which is the light of Jesus Christ in our lives.

I love this quote about gratitude given by Pres. Monson in Oct. 2010. He said: "When we encounter challenges and problems in our lives, it is often difficult for us to focus on our blessings. However, if we reach deep enough and look hard enough, we will be able to feel and recognize just how much we have been given."

I hope that during this season of trial and challenges that we can take the time to look deep enough and see how the Lord has truly blessed us. I know I am grateful for the many blessings and tender mercies that, if I look deeply enough, I can see everyday in my life.