Gratitude For The Season

I am really excited to share on gratitude and blessings today.  It seems that when a topic comes up for discussion, it is usually one I need to work on or have recently had an experience with. Or both.  As we the holidays, our hearts start turning to feelings of gratitude for our families, the Savior, our neighborhood, friends, and everything we have in this life.  We reflect on the stories of our ancestors and their journey to get to a place called Zion along with the stories created with our families today. Although the conditions are a bit different, there is a common denominator and that is gratitude and counting the blessings that surround us.

Now I didn’t say that gratitude and blessing pop out of the ground like daises and come sweat free. When things are going great in my life, I am so thankful for what I have been given.  I have a positive attitude and all is well.  This is what I would think most people would feel like too.  Funny enough though, when things are rock bottom, scary, or too much to handle I start thinking in a similar way. Not necessarily right off the bat but it happens.  I am thankful for the ones I have around me to support me, I am thankful for the power of prayer and priesthood blessings, the love Heavenly Father shows me, and so many other blessings that seem to rush in.

I see those blessings with the highs and lows but sometimes I forget that they are present in the middle are of my life.  The middle for me is a normal day of chasing two four legged fuzz balls around, postponing cleaning as much as I can and then frantically clean before Eddy gets home, running errands, making dinner, and spending time with my amazing husband when he gets home.  With all the hustle and bustle, I often skip over recognizing just how many blessings I have.  I get at least 2-3 miles in just walking to the door to let my indecisive dogs outside or inside, I get to make a mess of the house for no reason and blame it on “reorganizing”, and last but not least I get to stay home and take care of the house while my husband supports our outrageous vet bills and my sewing/fabric addiction.  Ok on a serious note though I am very grateful for him and all that he does to support our family.  There is so much that we can find in the middle days to be grateful for if we just take the time to look for them. 

I want to share a story with you about a man named Henry Glegg Jr.  Henry Clegg Jr. was a finisher. He joined the Church with his family when the first LDS missionaries went to Preston, England. Henry had a view of his destination in his mind as he and his wife, Hannah, and their two young boys immigrated to Utah.

While crossing the plains, Hannah contracted cholera and died. She was laid to rest in an unmarked grave. The company then moved on, and at six in the evening, Henry’s youngest son also died. Henry retraced his steps to Hannah’s grave, placed his young son in his wife’s arms, and reburied the two of them together. Henry then had to return to the wagon train, now five miles away. Suffering from cholera himself, Henry described his condition as being at death’s door while realizing he still had a thousand miles to walk. Amazingly he continued forward, putting one foot in front of the other. He stopped writing in his journal for several weeks after losing his dear Hannah and little son. I was struck with the words he used when he did start writing again: “Still moving.” When he finally reached the gathering place of the Saints, he began a new family. He kept the faith. He continued his story.

The pioneers have a very special place in my heart and as I read their stories, I am filled with gratitude for what they did and the blessings I receive from them making that sacrifice. I am thankful for our Savior and the ultimate sacrifice he made for each one of us so we can return to our Heavenly Father in heaven.  I am so thankful for my sweet Eddy.  One of the biggest blessings in my life was a cold December day last year when we were ceiled for time and all eternity.  I am so blessed to call him mine. Finally. ;)

Monthly Challenge:

As we approach the new topic for the month, yes I’m late on posting but I promise to do better next month, my challenge to you is to post a comment.  Let us know what you think on the topic at hand.  Do you have similar stories that you want to share?  We need the support of each other and that means we need you too. If you need help getting into the comment section email us and we would be happy to walk you through it.  Remember you are important and your thoughts.  Please share.  You never know who needs to hear what you have to say.