As Thanksgiving is fast approaching, I have been reminded frequently of this very topic, being thankful. Back in the beginning of October I found out that I wasn't going to be able to take the job I desired in St. Louis. Everything seemed to line up perfectly, except one thing... my current employer didn't allow me to go. Interestingly enough I had three different jobs lined up at one time, even in a cruddy economy such as the one that our country is passing through at the moment. Many would be grateful to have one job that pays anything let alone three, each that pays pretty well. I was fairly disappointed whenever I found out that I wasn't going to return to the St. Louis area. Even though, my true home is where my wife and children are, I will always consider that area my other home. My parents and sister are there, and I have many friends that are still there as well. I miss them all very much and yearn to be near them again. On top of that, moving to St. Louis would have meant that I wouldn't have to be separated from Nikki and my little ones for a while. (As staying in my current work means that I have to leave them for periods of time.) Anyhow, the point is that I was very frustrated. The weekend after that news hit, I watched General Conference. (For those who are not LDS, the Church has a bi-annual conference televised over satellite and internet to all of the world from Salt Lake City where the leaders of the Church give talks about various Gospel related topics.) The President of the Church, who we consider to be a Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, gave a talk about gratitude. It was then that I realized how grateful I should be for all that I have. God reminded me of all that I had and that even though I didn't get what I wanted, that I still had a great job that sustains my family. A month and a half has passed since then, and week ago I was again reminded of that lesson which President Monson shared. This time I was taught through an experience I had. At least once a month, I accompany the full-time missionaries from my ward (Church congregation) to visit different members and investigators of our church. I found out that they were going to visit a family that speaks Spanish, so desiring to practice my Spanish, I volunteered to go with them. This small family consisted of a man and his aunt. They had moved from the west coast into the Oklahoma City area not so long ago. The man had lost his job and was looking for work. His aunt's friend who is living in the Oklahoma City area had invited them to stay with her to find work here. After a couple of weeks with no luck of finding any work, the man became despaired. Before they moved to Oklahoma, they had converted and were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The man yearned to be close to God, so he prayed that he could find the Church here in Oklahoma. Literally the next day, the full-time missionaries knocked on his aunt's friend's door. (This was a miracle alone, considering that the missionaries hardly ever knocked doors in that area because the people there generally did not answer their doors.) After the friend answered the door and was about to send the missionaries away, the aunt saw them and beckoned them to stay. From there, this man and his aunt found other Mormons in the area that began to help them. Unfortunately, the aunt's friend kicked the two out of her home because she did not like Mormons. Thankfully for this little family, a Church member found out their plight and allowed them to move into a run down house which he owned that was vacant within our ward's geographical boundaries. His only requirement was that they clean it up and take care of it while they stay there. When they moved into this tiny house, they found it full of trash, dirty diapers, animal remains, and several broken windows. On top of that the water heater and gas wasn't working, they didn't have any furniture except for a table, a refrigerator and a mattress which was being lent to them, and the car that they owned had broken down due to a bad transmition. A week after they moved in is when the missionaries and I visited them. They had done an amazing job on cleaning the house, despite all of the other issues. As we visited with this man and his aunt, they were thrilled to see us. As we talked to them, they told us how they came to learn about the Church and how they became converted to restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. The aunt had just found their scriptures and in those scriptures, she found the pictures of their baptism and the full-time missionaries that had taught them. She cried out of joy. During the entire visit, they did not complain one bit about the situation they were in. In the face of all the adversity that they were going through, these two humble people, were grateful and happy for all that they had. They knew what was truly important in life, and that no matter what they faced, they had their faith in Jesus Christ, and that they were going to do all they could to be close to Him.
The missionaries and I presented a spiritual message to them that night, but in reality they taught me the bigger lesson. It doesn't matter what worldly goods we acquire in this life, where we live, or even what kind of job we have. What matters is family and our faith in Christ. Do we complain constantly about every little problem that we are faced with, or do we take on the challenges of life and become stronger?
I am eternally grateful for my wonderful wife and my two beautiful children. I am grateful for two loving parents and for my brother and sister that miss so much. I am thankful for Nikki's family and how they love me as if I were blood. Finally, I am thankful for my Savior and for the privledge of being a member of His Church.
No comments:
Post a Comment