Attitude of Gratitude

This last Sunday, our family was asked to speak on Gratitude. Can I just say, I'm grateful that it's over. In preparing for our talks, Gracie reminded us over and over that she was not going to give a talk. No amount of bribery was going to change her mind. However, she did say that she would sing with Emma. So, Emma gave a short talk about the Ten Lepers, and how we should recognize where our blessings come from. Then, Emma and Gracie sang a song called, "My Heavenly Father Loves Me". I couldn't believe that they did it so well. I asked them later, if they were scared and both said "no".

Then we were privileged to hear from Ty and he told an awesome story that goes like this.

A long time ago in a faraway village lived a man who everyone did their very best to avoid. He was the type of person who believed that there was only one competent person in the world, and that one person was himself. Consequently, he was never satisfied with anything. His shoes never fit right. His shirt never felt comfortable. When his food wasn’t too cold, it was too salty, and when it wasn’t too hot, it was too bland.

If a field wasn’t sowed by himself, it was not sowed well. If he didn’t close the door, the door was not closed properly.

In short, he made a career of frowning, lecturing, criticizing, and mumbling about the incompetencies of every other person in the rest of the world.

Unfortunately, the man was married, which made matters all the worse. No matter what his wife did, in his eyes it was wrong. No matter what the unfortunate woman cooked, sewed, or cleaned—or even when she milked the cow—it was never satisfactory, and he let her know it.

She tried very hard to be a good wife, but it seemed the harder she tried, the less she pleased him. Finally, one evening she could take no more.

“I’ll tell you what we’ll do,” she told him. “Tomorrow I will do your chores and you will do mine.”

“But you can’t do my chores,” the man replied. “You don’t know the first thing about sowing, hoeing, and irrigating.”

But the woman was adamant. And on top of that, she was filled with a righteous anger that frankly astonished and frightened the man to the point where he didn’t dare disagree.

So the next morning the wife went off to the fields and the man began the domestic chores. After thinking about it, he had actually convinced himself he was looking forward to it. Once and for all, he would demonstrate to his wife how things should be done.

Unfortunately, not everything went according to plan. In fact, nearly everything the man touched turned into disaster. He spilled the milk, let the pig get into the house, lost the cow, burned the dinner, and ultimately set the house on fire, narrowly escaping with his own life.

When his wife returned, she discovered her husband sitting on a pile of ashes, smoke still rising from his clothes. But the woman wasn’t the type to rub things in. She helped him up, wiped the soot from his beard, fixed him a little something to eat, and then prepared a bed of straw for them to sleep on.

From that day forward, the man never complained about anyone or anything else for as long as he lived.

Bryce shared some more insight on the story of the Ten Lepers taken from a talk given by President Thomas Monson.

Then Bryce and Tyler played a duet of "Each Life That Touches Ours For Good". I was really impressed that they pulled it together so well. It really sounded beautiful and they learned to work together to get something done.

I was the lucky one to go next and so I shared some stories about Matt and my dad, and how to look for ways to live with Gratitude in our Hearts by following these fives steps.
Pray Always
Make the Best of Each Day
Give Service to Others
Don't Be Distracted By Worldly Things
Be An Example

Then Tom up and shared a story from President Hinckley. Here is the link to it:
What I learned as a Boy

I believe that life is all about recognizing the hand of our Savior in ALL that we do. He has given us life, he has given us families to be sealed to for Eternity, He has given us a Chance to Repent through the Atonement, and the ultimate gift to be able to Live with Him again.

This Thanksgiving Season, May we all recognize our Bounteous Blessings!