What Would I Want This For?

{Written as a guest post for Chocolate On My Cranium, re-posting for Thanksgiving}

“What would I want this for?”

I will never forget the fire in my younger brother’s voice, or the sheer look of horror on my mother’s face as the freshly unwrapped Christmas gift flew across the room. It landed with a thud on the hardwood floor and slid right back under the Christmas tree.

The stink of ingratitude filled our home that Christmas morning. The beautiful Journal was given as a present but received with a lack of appreciation.

Years later my family laughs about this incident. My Brother Dustin is now married, a Medical Doctor, and ironically a very faithful Journal keeper.

As I enter this wonderful Thanksgiving Season, I find myself reflecting on what I am grateful for. The past year has been a challenging one for me. At times I have found myself echoing my brother’s expression,

“What would I want this for?”

The Truth is that we all have Struggles. Every one of us has a current trial or heartache.

·         Illness

·         Loneliness

·         Depression

·         Infertility

·         The Loss of a loved one

·         Disease

·         Injury

·         Abuse

·         Confusion

·         Unemployment

·         Financial problems

·         Hunger

·         Divorce

·         Debt

And each of us has most likely been caught mumbling the words, “What would I want this for.”

So how is it possible that we can sincerely show our gratitude and offer thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father despite such difficulties?

President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “Gratitude is of the very essence of worship—thanksgiving to the God of Heaven, who has given us all that we have that is good.”

It is easy to take our blessings for granted. We must make an earnest effort to continually offer prayers of gratitude to our Heavenly Father. Do we constantly remember all that God has given us? Are we too slow to be found worshipping God in a spirit of Gratitude when things don’t seem to be going our way?

We would be wise to remember the scripture found in D&C 59:21:

 “And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.”  

The Lord loves his children. His blessings are given so abundantly.

In an address given in 1976, by Elder Ezra Taft Benson, he tells the story of Elder Joseph F. Smith visiting the old Oneida Stake of Zion and arranging to take a meal at the home of Elder Benson’s grandfather. In telling the story, his Grandfather said that they were seated in the dining room of the farm home. The table was laden with good things to eat. The family was gathered around. Just before they were ready to start the meal, President Smith stretched his long arms over the table and turned to his grandfather and said,

“Brother Benson, all this and the gospel too?”

I love this story. I love the message that it sends.

We have so much to be grateful for. I urge you to sit down and write out a list of all you have. I hope you can feel the power in offering your thanks to a loving Heavenly Father.

I hope that the next time you are tempted to say,

 “what would I want this for”

 you will turn to that list and instead add,

 “all this and the gospel too”!

I can’t help but feel that I have been magnificently blessed.

Let us be grateful.

Let us be thankful.