“And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.”
And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
With so much to be grateful for in my life I have often asked myself, “Am I like the one who came back to express thanks or is my behavior more like the nine who went their way giving no recognition for what they had received?”
This story urges us to ask ourselves, “How would I respond?”
We have so much to be grateful for… For our freedom, our health and safety, our families, our friendships, our faiths, our favorable circumstances, for our capacity to work and to give and to share with others. Also, for the Farmers organization and for the significant network of support we find ourselves being the beneficiaries of on a daily basis….
The list goes on and on…
It’s overwhelming how much we have in America and the bounteous blessings that are ours. Please take the time to not only express thanks, but to express gratitude. Have you ever wondered what the subtle difference is between expressing thanks and gratitude? Expressing thanks is often a simple verbal expression, but expressions of gratitude are much deeper. Gratitude denotes some form of extended action or service or a measure of contribution relating to that of which we are expressing thanks.
David O. McKay said, “Thankfulness is measured by the number of words; gratitude is measured by the nature of our actions.” What a great rule to live by...
So…
- If we are thankful for the free country in which we live, then we should vote and let our voices be heard in the American political process.
- If we are thankful for our families and the relationships we hold dear, then we should spend time with those we love and express our thankfulness through acts of service and kindness.
- If we are thankful for the favorable economic circumstances that are ours, then we should seek to give back, in our own way, to help others become more successful and self-reliant.
These are individual choices, but what a difference there would be if all of us moved from simply expressing thanks to showing gratitude. Can you imagine the shift in our culture? Can you imagine the impact felt by this outpouring of contribution? Never discount the power of one...
I am reminded of another story that continues to pull at my heart:
“The District of Columbia police auctioned off about 100 unclaimed bicycles Friday. ‘One dollar,’ said an eleven-year-old boy as the bidding opened on the first bike. The bidding, however, went much higher. ‘One dollar,’ the boy repeated hopefully each time another bike came up.
“The auctioneer, who had been auctioning stolen or lost bikes for 43 years, noticed that the boy’s hopes seemed to soar highest whenever a racer was put up.
“There was one racer left. Then the bidding mounted to $8.00. ‘Sold to that boy over there for $9.00,’ said the auctioneer. He took $8.00 from his own pocket and asked the boy for his dollar. The youngster turned it over—in pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters—took his bike and started to leave. But he went only a few feet. Carefully parking his new possession, he went back, gratefully threw his arms around the auctioneer’s neck and cried.”
Let us resolve to be more grateful! May each of you enjoy a safe and glorious Thanksgiving Holiday. I express my sincere gratitude to each of you for the goodness that you represent and the hard work that you exemplify in shepherding the needs of others. I continue to pledge my efforts to help you in any way I can to reach the heights that you desire, to experience greatness in your pursuit of happiness!
Have an enjoyable week!
