Gift of Gratitude

Gratitude is part of the Beattitudes in which Christ taught to his disciples upon the Sermon on the Mount. This attribute is a divine one only obtained by the help of God for it is an attribute of him. As we seek him and strive to develop this gift we are blessed to feel a great and empowering feeling within our soul to guide us and teach us. The divine gift of Gratitude is a sacred and essential gift that we must strive to cultivate for many reasons. First and foremost it is a commandment from God, but as we develop this we are blessed beyond a measure that cannot be determined for it is far beyond the reach of our understanding. What I mean by this is that as we look for the good we will see the good but see much more than that as well. We ultimately will be able to see through the eyes of God, seeing the things of Heaven or through its perspective, thus in the end we will have an eternal perspective.

This may seem impossible and daunting but it is not so with Christ's help. We must take one step at a time and remember it is a process. Within the recent General Conference President Monson spoke on counting our blessings, being grateful for what we have. To develop this sacred gift of being grateful we must start by counting those blessings we receive whether great or small.

As I have strives to be more grateful for the things in my life I have felt a sustaining source of peace and love come into my heart. I received a little note book from a Sister and an explanation about it, it was called the "Lord's Hand." Throughout my day I look for moments where I feel the Lords love for me, and feeling that comes within and radiates out from my heart. The moment does not have to be big by any means and most frankly none of the moments I write down are large they are small very small. One moment I recorded was seeing a shooting star one night, that moment touched my heart and I felt Gods love for a child needing his support and reassurance in the most crucial time in my life.


I know as we look for these small moments in our lives and count our blessings, taking an inventory as President Monson said we will be blessed further more. Our trials that we go through will still make us struggle but having cultivated this holy gift from God to be grateful we will feel a sustaining support to help us through those darkest times. We as we are within those dark times will be able to recall those tender mercies from the Lord and have a hope that Good things will come. Look to God and give thanks to him for all he has given you, for all good things and all good gifts come from God.