Time to Count Your Blessings

During this Thanksgiving week my thoughts have frequently turned to the many blessings I have received throughout my life...not just the big obvious ones that we often dwell upon but the small daily gifts that we way too often overlook. Then today our lesson in Relief Society from Elder Henry B. Eyring's conference address, "O Remember, Remember" reinforced what I have been thinking. Every night before he retired he made it a habit to ask himself this question: "Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?" Then as he thought about his day and pondered that question he began to see evidence of what God had done for him or one of his family that he had not recognized in the busy moments of his day. And he would write those things down for his children to read sometime in the future. I would encourage you to read that talk if you haven't already done so or read it again if you have. I think if we took the time each day to do what Elder Eyring did, each one of us would realize how the hand of God touches our lives on a daily basis.

As I have reflected on the many many things I have to be grateful for, the ones which came to my mind first were those that were very obvious and for which I express gratitude on a continuing basis. But as I have given time and thought to the more subtle blessings I came to realize that many people had touched my life in small but powerful ways, and I came to understand how God has used His children as instruments in His hand to bless and enrich my life on a daily basis.

So here are some of the things for which I am so grateful today.

• My Heavenly parents and my Father's great plan of salvation
• My life. The blessing I have of coming to this earth to receive a body.
• My parents who gave me life and loved and taught me.
• My eternal companion whom I love so dearly
• My special, special family (that includes all of my extended family)
• The Restoration of the gospel and the prophet, Joseph Smith, who suffered so much to establish Christ's church once again on earth
• A prophet to guide us through these troubled times
  
• The beautiful "paid-for" home that we have at this time in our life. This has been a true miracle to me being that we were so late in life being able to purchase a home.
• The beauty that surrounds us here in Tehachapi

These are the big obvious things. Now the smaller ones that have come to my mind.

• My sister, Georgia, who was my friend and confidant for many years before her death. Although Jim complained about the high telephone bill because of my long talks with her, I would tell him that it was cheaper than having to pay a psychiatrist. He soon quit complaining.
• The first person that said, "Hi! My name is Frances Bennett. Welcome to Tehachapi".
• An orthopedic surgeon who did micro surgery on my back even though he knew my insurance would not pay for the "micro" part of the operation. And he didn't charge me the difference.
• A Sunday School teacher who motivated me to read the New Testatment with a whole new depth of understanding and feeling of gratitude for our Savior and the great leaders of His church following His death who were so dedicated and committed to the gospel to suffer and die to spread His word throughout the known world. How I learned to love and appreciate these great men!
• A home teacher who dropped by to give us a pumpkin pie the day before Thanksgiving and his wife who baked it.
• A mission call to Uganda for a grandson who made the choice to go on a mission rather than to go back to Africa on his own to work for the people he learned to love.
  
• The animals and birds who frequent my back yard. I love watching them out the window
  
• Having grandchildren run up to me and yell, "Grandma, Grandma!" when they see me
• The close friendship and love I feel for and from my Jim. I love having him at home all the time.
• Technology that helps me stay in such close touch with the family (even though I have a love-hate relationship with computers)
• A sister in our ward who has many debilitating health problems but when asked, "How are you today?" always answers, "Blessed". She has become one of my pool buddies.
• The Christmas season and the joy, peace, and happiness it brings
  
• Puppies and kittens

I could go on and on the more I think about it. My goal this season is to write some over due thank-you notes to some of the people who may not realize that they have been instruments in God's hands to bless my life in small but important ways. May you also take time this season to count your blessings and give gratitude to those through whom they come.