Can you imagine stepping into that barge, knowing that you wouldn’t be on dry land for who-knows-how-long?
Knowing that there was no way to steer?
Commending yourself entirely to the Lord your God?
What anxiety, doubt, and fear I’m sure flashed through their minds.
But what did they CHOOSE to do?
They sang praises to the Lord.
They thanked the Lord all day long.
And when the night came?
They didn’t cease to praise the Lord.
Thanksgiving always brings a special spirit to me.
I’m not sure why, but I’ve always loved it.
And I think this Thanksgiving gives us a special opportunity to reflect:
Have we lost ourselves in the “list” of things we are thankful for, sometimes wallowing in what isn’t on the list, or jealous of what we think should be on the list?
Or have we used this year to practice our attitude of gratitude?
We don’t have to be grateful for 2020.
We can be. But we don’t have to have it on our list.
President Uchtdorf put it so eloquently:
“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 are grateful to God IN our circumstances.
Whether we are trapped in a tiny, wooden barge, traveling hundreds of miles through the ocean.
Or whether we are dealing with job loss, loss of loved ones, financial insecurity, faith crises, or any other type of despair.
We can develop and show gratitude.
Through prayers, through scripture study, through service, and through singing.
We can always feel gratitude.
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
