Thanksgiving Food for Thought

Thanksgiving is next week. NEXT WEEK. (Where did the rest of November go? Unbelievable. But I'm glad it's here.) Expressions of gratitude abound at this time of year... but I always wish that same gratitude could abound year-round... Couldn't it?

Joseph B. Wirthlin gave a devotional at BYU back in the year 2000 called: "Live in Thanksgiving Daily." It is such a beautiful talk, and I really recommend reading it. He says in order to live in a way of daily thanksgiving, we need to do three things:

1. Open our Eyes... Unfortunately, because the beauties of life are so abundant, we often take them for granted, and overlook some of our choicest blessings. We need to open our eyes and see the good things in our lives on every layer! Not just friends, family, job, health--but laundry detergent, pillows, shoes, phones, music, water, candy, trees! The list is endless.
2. Open our Hearts... Our hearts are often bound with negative emotion and past scarring. We need to let go of those past aches and let the holes they may leave behind be filled with faith, hope and gratitude.
3. Open our Arms... Our blessings will become more apparent and bountiful if we open our arms and try to bless the lives of those around us. Joseph B. Wirthlin said, "Every time we cheer another's heart, every time we ease another's burden, every time we lift a weary head, we show our gratitude to that God whom we owe all that we have and all that we are."

I love how those three principles lead one right into the next. If we can open our eyes and see the blessings around us, it will be easier for us to open our hearts to greater possibilities and good in the world, and therefore help us open our arms to serve others.

So, living in thanksgiving daily means being grateful, right? Yes, but it also requires action on our part. Going around and telling everything and everyone that you are grateful for them is good, but it is better to live in a way that shows your gratitude. We can't just tell someone that we love them and are grateful for them, we need to show them through service. We can't just say that we're grateful for our bodies, we need to show it by treating them well with exercise and good eating habits. We can't just say we're grateful for a loving God--we need to show it by living His commandments and doing what he would want us to do. We need to express thanks in word and deed.

Life is so good. And it is just so much better when we see the good in it, and act to maintain and foster more good in our lives and the lives of others.

Live in Thanksgiving daily.