After the end of the fourth session, I couldn't help breaking out into smiles. The prophet's message left me feeling burdens lifted, my heart lighter. By the time I got home, I felt positively joyful... Couldn't go without calling my parents on the phone and expressing my gratitude and love for our new prophet, Thomas S. Monson. Couldn't go without taking this moment to write my gratitude into this blog...
The beginning and ending of his message underlined that change is inevitable, that we have no choice but to adapt. And in navigating change, we need to learn to distinguish between what is important, and what is not. And what is important? The people in our lives, the ones we love. Never let problems become more important than people, he reminded us. The love and relationships in our lives are self-evidently blessings from God. Joy is for the here and now! Be grateful for what you have! Ingratitude is one of the greatest sins! Gratitude is one of the greatest virtues! Gratitude teaches us the proper relationship between us and our Savior, us and our Heavenly Father. Never have I seen gratitude raised to the level of a theological virtue in just this way...
I am so grateful for President Monson! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
His closing remarks and prophetic blessing brought comfort to me as we keep hearing, knowing and living in these "perilous times".
ReplyDeleteWe do live in perilous times... But Pres. Monson's talk I think captures the essence of what it means to live in faith, even in the midst of perilous times...
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