Saturday, August 30, 2014

Grateful in Any Circumstances


This morning I was studying a talk by Dieter F. Uchtdorf titled, "Grateful in Any Circumstances". Let me just tell you, I really needed it. Something he says in his talk really hit me:
 
"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!"
 
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"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."
 
Now, I am the first to be negative in a situation. I will admit it. I have always struggled with the idea of being positive, when everything around me just seems to be negative. Something that I DO know to be true, is that Heavenly Father loves us. He will never give us anything that we can't handle. As we exercise our agency and CHOOSE to be grateful, Christ's Atonement will make everything right. I definitely know this to be true. It is something I hold onto every day.

Here are some other quotes that I really enjoyed from his talk:
 
 
 
 
 
 
"We can choose to be grateful, no matter what.
 
"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?"

 






"In light of what we know about our eternal destiny, is it any wonder that whenever we face the bitter endings of life, they seem unacceptable to us? There seems to be something inside of us that resists endings.
 
"Why is this? Because we are made of the stuff of eternity. We are eternal beings, children of the Almighty God, whose name is Endless‍ and who promises eternal blessings without number. Endings are not our destiny.
 
"The more we learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ, the more we realize that endings here in mortality are not endings at all. They are merely interruptions—temporary pauses that one day will seem small compared to the eternal joy awaiting the faithful.
 
"How grateful I am to my Heavenly Father that in His plan there are no true endings, only everlasting beginnings."




 
 

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