“How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the
rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?”
That quote comes from a talk given by President Uchtdorf. Here are a few excerpts from the talk:
“Over the years, I have had the sacred opportunity to meet with
many people whose sorrows seem to reach the very depths of their soul…Often
their grief is caused by what seems to them as an ending. Some are facing the
end of a cherished relationship, such as the death of a loved one or
estrangement from a family member. Others feel they are facing the end of
hope—the hope of being married or bearing children or overcoming an illness.
Others may be facing the end of their faith, as confusing and conflicting
voices in the world tempt them to question, even abandon, what they once knew
to be true.
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.
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!
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…
But some might say, “What do I have to be grateful for when my
world is falling apart?”
Perhaps focusing on what we are grateful for is the wrong
approach. It is difficult to develop a spirit of gratitude if our thankfulness
is only proportional to the number of blessings we can count. True, it is
important to frequently “count our blessings”—and anyone who has tried this
knows there are many—but I don’t believe the Lord expects us to be less
thankful in times of trial than in times of abundance and ease…
It is easy to be grateful for things when life seems to be going
our way. But what then of those times when what we wish for seems to be far out
of reach?
Could I suggest that we see gratitude as a disposition, a way of
life that stands independent of our current situation? In other words, I’m
suggesting that instead of being thankful for things, we focus on being
thankful in our circumstances—whatever they may be…
This type of gratitude transcends whatever is happening around
us. It surpasses disappointment, discouragement, and despair. It blooms just as
beautifully in the icy landscape of winter as it does in the pleasant warmth of
summer…
We sometimes think that being grateful is what we do after our
problems are solved, but how terribly shortsighted that is. How much of life do
we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?”
Now can you see why I LOVE this talk?! It is such a great
reminder to me to be grateful during the journey, through both the ups and the
downs. I need talks like this to set my head straight sometimes. I tend
to be the person so focused on the outcome itself that I forget to feel
grateful during the journey and these type of talks really help to pull me back
to center and make me keep things in better perspective. I love his
reminder that we can always find something to be grateful for, even when times
are tough or things are going as we think they should. I know in my life
that when things have gone wrong and I haven’t understood it at the time –
inevitably when I look back at those times they ended up leading my life to
somewhere so much better than I could ever have imagined that they would. And
because of that I have learned to trust that even if it’s not going my way, it
is usually because God has a much better route for me to take then the one I
was planning on.. This is what I shared with sister Clayton since she new Daniel from his previous marriage. My life today is exactly the way it is spelled in my patriarchal blessing I explained to her and I would have never trade for anything.
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