...Who is grateful for so many things

There are so many things to be grateful for in this life. It's hard to sit down and list them all. I've just felt that I have so much to be grateful for.

I have the opportunity to call people to see if they still want financial help in order to participate in programs. It's been a humbling experience to hear exastperated mothers tell me how grateful they are for me calling and offering a solution to one of their many problems. I wanted to cry the first day when I talked to several people who all mentioned to me how they would love the assistance due to losing jobs and such. I live in Provo...the 'happy bubble' as it is known. There is an economic crisis going on, but I, in my ignorance, had not seen it's consequences. As I sit in my office talking to people, joking around, there are others in this world struggling. In some areas of the world there are those struggling daily to live. Other areas is a fight for their homes. And still others fight for the will to make it through another disappointing day.

I've heard it said that 'the world owes you nothing. It was here first.' I laughed the first time I heard that. How true that statement is though. The world owes me nothing. Compared to it, I am nothing. And yet I sit here with my laptop, in a nice apartment, surrounded by good friends and family, all of whom I love dearly, and I still find myself complaining about the stupid little details that life throws at us.

None of us are perfect, especially me. And that's okay. But how much more perfect would our lives be if we were to be a little bit more grateful everyday. How different life would be if we made sure to say 'thank you' to the stranger holding the door open for us or to a friend who made us laugh. Or to a local leader who gets no recognition for any service they provide. Or to say 'thank you' to a parent or sibling who was there for you when you needed them to be, or was just there to make your life a little bit better. How different life would be if we woke up everyday and instead of grumbling about all the different things we have to get done during the day or about our lack of sleep or work later that morning, or complaining about the unfairness of life,but rather, we woke up and thanked God that we're alive. Thanking him for being able to sleep, for waking up, for everything good and bad in our little lives, because in the end, we ARE alive and living and doing things.

We don't deserve anything that has been given to us. Sure, we can work and earn our wages, but that doesn't mean we deserve it. That we've been granted some all powerful mighty privilege to be entitled to having everything we want or only some of the things we want and also have the right to complain about life. We are given life and the ability to choose to be happy. I thank my Creator for that.

How different would our lives be in this hectic time if we took one extra moment everyday to be a little more grateful. Just think about it. There are billions of people in the world. If we all took one extra second per day to be thankful....how long would it take for all of us to, one after the other, be grateful for one thing rather than complaining!? It's incomprehensible.

So, what are you going to be grateful for today?