In case you missed it, I am thankful for: family priesthood freedom modern medicine transportation two eyes, two ears, hands, and legs general conference babies good books laughter & Dawson music four seasons Faith visiting teaching three sisters Kate my job temples good advice friends faith promoting blogs food teachers snowstorms shelter Atonement trials the spirit of Christmas modern conveniences AND
I am thankful for goodly parents. My parents always made sure that we had what we needed. We never went without. They sacrificed so that I could be in band, which was a highlight of my growing up. I took piano lessons. We had a piano in our home. They taught me the gospel and made sure that I knew that church was important. Now, as I am grown and have a family of my own, they try hard to let me learn how to be a parent. They probably bite their tongue quite a bit, but for this I am grateful. My Mom watches Kate for me on Mondays, which is a huge help for us. My Dad is always willing to help with blessings or to teach one of my own how to ride their bike.
Thank you Mom and Dad for loving me and teaching me all that I know!
I am thankful for the spirit of Christmas. It is such a wonderful time of year that we try to give of ourselves. Neighbors scrap walkways and help dig their cars out. Many doors are knocked with anonymous gifts, treats, and jars filled with coins.
I love the spirit of Christmas and especially all of the great stories that bring tears to your eyes and warm your heart. These stories help us remember that not everything in this world is bad and that we too, can give.
Here are two great stories. The first is "Christmas Shoes", one of my favorite Christmas songs that makes me cry my eyes out everytime. The second is a story that I found online about changing lives during a difficult Christmas. It was a story that I had never heard before, but one that touched me. I hope that you enjoy both!
Story written by Annie
I hurried into the local department store to grab some last minute Christmas gift. I looked at all the people and grumbled to myself. I would be in here forever and I just had so much to do. Christmas was beginning to become such a drag. I kinda wished that I could just sleep through Christmas. But I hurried the best I could through all the people to the toy department. Once again I kind of mumbled to myself at the prices of all these toys. And wondered if the grandkids would even play with them.
I found myself in the doll aisle. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy about 5 holding a lovely doll. He kept touching her hair and he held her so gently. I could not seem to help myself. I just kept looking over at the little boy and wondered who the doll was for. I watched him turn to a woman and he called his aunt by name and said, “Are you sure I don’t have enough money” She replied a bit impatiently, “You know that you don’t have enough money for it." The aunt told the little boy not to go anywhere that she had to go get some other things and would be back in a few minutes. And then she left the aisle. The boy continued to hold the doll.
After a bit I asked the boy who the doll was for. He said, “It is the doll my sister wanted so badly for Christmas. She just knew that Santa would bring it.” I told him that maybe Santa was going to bring it. He said “No, Santa can’t go where my sister is…I have to give the doll to my Momma to take to her”. I asked him where his sister was.
He looked at me with the saddest eyes and said, “She has gone to be with Jesus”. My Daddy says that Momma is going to have to go be with her. My heart nearly stopped beating. Then the boy looked at me again and said, “I told my Daddy to tell Momma not to go yet. I told him to tell her to wait till I got back from the store”. Then he asked me if I wanted to see his picture. I told him I would love to. He pulled out some pictures he’d had taken at the front of the store. He said “I want my Momma to take this with her so she don’t ever forget me. I love my Momma so very much and I wish she did not have to leave me. But Daddy says she will need to be with my sister.”
I saw that the little boy had lowered his head and had grown so very quiet. While he was not looking I reached into my purse and pulled out a handfull of bills. I asked the little boy, “Shall we count that money one more time?” He grew excited and said “Yes, I just know it has to be enough”. So I slipped my money in with his and we began to count it.
Of course it was plenty for the doll. He softly said, “Thank you Jesus for giving me enough money.” Then the boy said, “I just asked Jesus to give me enough money to buy this doll so Momma can take it with her to give to my sister. And he heard my prayer. I wanted to ask him for enough to buy my Momma a white rose, but I didn’t ask him, but he gave me enough to buy the doll and a rose for my Momma. She loves white roses so very very much”.
In a few minutes, the aunt came back and I wheeled my cart away. I could not keep from thinking about the little boy as I finished my shopping in a totally different spirit than when I had started. And I kept remembering a story I had seen in the newspaper several days earlier about a drunk driver hitting a car and killing a little girl and the Mother was in serious condition. The family was deciding on rather to remove the life support. Now surely this little boy did not belong with that story.
Two days later I read in the paper where the family had disconnected the life support and the young woman had died. I could not forget the little boy and just kept wondering if the two were somehow connected. Later that day, I could not help myself and I went out and bought some white roses and took them to the funeral home where the young woman was. And there she was holding a lovely white rose, the beautiful doll, and the picture of the little boy in the store.
I left there in tears, my life changed forever. The love that little boy had for his little sister and his mother was overwhelming. And in a split second a drunk driver had ripped the life of that little boy to pieces.
“We make a living by what we get; We make a life by what we give.”
I am thankful for our trials. This is something that I am not always grateful for, but who would want to be the same person 5 years down the road. There are so many things that help mold and change us and make us a better person. I love the way that C.S. Lewis puts it in 'Mere Christianity.'
God's work in our lives can be painful, but His ultimate goal is to transform us into something better.
Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what he is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised.
But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is he up to? The explanation is that he is building quite a different house from the one you thought of — throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards.
You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but he is building up a palace. He intends to come and live in it himself.
I am thankful for the knowledge of the atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
The knowledge that Jesus came to this earth to teach and live the gospel helps me everyday through the bad days and the good ones.
I continue to learn from his teachings and am so blessed to have this knowledge.
He not only lived for us, he died for us so that we may all live again. His resurrection is one of the most touching of all the stories in the Book of Mormon for me.
