An Evening of Gratitude

For our Relief Society Night or that meeting formerly known as Enrichment, we spent a delightful evening learning about and discussing gratitude.

Sister Margo Kelly shared a wonderful message about gratitude. Margo acknowledged that it's so much easier sometimes to focus on the negative and our trials, instead of focusing on the positive. She defined gratitude as "Gratitude is acknowledging the hand of God in our lives."

Isn't that a wonderful thought? How often do we neglect acknowledging God's hand in our lives? For many of us, it is far too often.

Margo shared several quotes from President Monson's conference talk from this past October entitled, The Divine Gift of Gratitude. President Monson quoted another individual who said, "feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." What an amazing thought. Margo said she imagined a bunch of Christmas presents that were wrapped, but not given. How tragic that would be. At the same time, not expressing our gratitude to God or whomever, is just as tragic.

One thing that Margo also talked about was the importance of expressing gratitude to those around us. Those who touch or help us in some way. Talented woman that she is, she passed around a basket of thank you notes (many of which she had made) and invited those in attendance to take one or two cards and to write out a message to someone we appreciate and then to give or mail the cards.

Margo shared Matthew's account of Jesus Christ when he was traveling in the wilderness for three days and 4,000 people followed him. None of them had eaten for three days, and they were probably somewhat whiny and complaining. The disciples saw only what was lacking: the food. The Savior, instead of complaining with them asked, "How many loaves have ye?" The disciples replied, "Seven, and a few little fishes." The Savior had faith that they would have sufficient for their needs and he prayed and gave thanks for those loaves and fishes and then he blessed it and brake it and the disciples distributed it. And there was enough. But, before there was enough, Christ expressed gratitude for what was already there.

President Monson also said, "to express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven." Margo shared this quote twice, because it is so profound.

At the end of her remarks, there was some discussion and sisters were able to share moments or experiences where they were able to see the hand of God in their lives. One sister shared the thought that when we focus on gratitude even when things are desperate and hard, we can find joy. And when we can consistently find joy during the hard times, we will become a more spiritual and celestial people.

To end the evening, we adjourned to the cultural hall and had delicious refreshments and made gratitude journals. These are small notebooks that will fit into a purse and are intended for you to use to write the things you are grateful for each day.

What a wonderful way to cultivate an attitude of gratitude! May you each take some time this week to find those times in your life when you can see the moments of gratitude and give thanks for them.