Gifts

I wonder today if I could even count the gifts that I've received from a loving Heavenly Father? How many things in my life have I taken for granted? Sometimes I act as if I'm entitled to the things that I have. A quiet, small voice inside reminds me that everything...everything that I have is a gift from God. A speaker at Time Out For Women made a beautiful point, "the only thing we have to give Him is our will. Everything else he's given to us, time, talent, friends, family, etc."

What would happen if I replaced jealousy, hurt, pride, anger, impatience (to name a few) in my heart with happiness? What if I recognized daily that supportive family and friends are not things that God "has" to give me? Each life that brings greater happiness and love to me is a direct and divine gift from a loving Heavenly Father who doesn't want me to feel alone. Without the important people in my life, my life would be very, very different. I would be on a much darker path.

Gratitude. Something I thought I completely understood. Say "thank you", when someone gives you something, thank God every day for the blessings of family, health, home, etc. Actually, that's not all gratitude is. It's not an action, it's an attitude. An attitude that brings greater love to everyone in our lives. If I could love the people in my life with a spirit of gratitude their feelings of love, appreciation, and worth would grow. If only I could remember that there are no "guarantees". One of my children could wake up tomorrow and learn that he or she has a much shorter life span than I envision. Each day with people that I love is a gift.

It's interesting to think how God works through each of us, if we let Him. He doesn't just help miracles come to pass, by our actions, God works miracles by the amount of love, pure love, that we allow in our hearts to then be passed to others. This love allows for greater understanding. Things we would never "see" or "know" on our own, are made very clear by a loving Heavenly Father.

These are such random thoughts, but I guess what I've been reminded of today is that studying the scriptures, saying my prayers, and listening to the whispers of the Spirit are not just for days of trial. These are not a checklist of things to do when I feel like I can't make it another day. Daily, (er, almost daily, sometimes weekly) spiritual feeding can enable me to love more fully and show greater gratitude. All of these things are gifts from God.