The gift of gratitude

Years ago during college I took a microbiology class. I remember few specifics from my many college classes, however there was a portion of this microbiology class that I haven’t forgotten. It had to do with a chapter on infectious diseases. The disease I remember most was leprosy. The troubling images the professor showed us really bothered me, and I will never forget them.

Leprosy has terrified humanity since the ancient times. It was a common debilitating disease that was mainly caused by uncleanliness. This disease could grossly disfigure the human body, cause large open sores which could easily become infected and cause unbearable pain and suffering. Loss of hair, fingers and toes, and facial disfigurement were common symptoms. On top of this, leprosy was contagious so victims probably had few friends. Leprosy lead to a slow, painful, agonizing death.

In Luke 17: 11-19 we read, “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? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.”

It was through divine intervention these lepers were cured and spared from an almost certain painful, lingering death. It is unbelievable to me that nine of the ten lepers did not remember to give thanks to Jesus. Imagine their horrible circumstance. What would it have felt like to these nine lepers to suddenly be free from the misery they were in?

“When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance, conceit, and egotism. You walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your life,” taught Gordon B. Hinckley, former President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Greek philosopher Epictetus said, “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”

Do we remember to be grateful for the many blessings we receive? Regardless of our situation, each of us has much to be thankful for. This is an amazing time to be on earth. There are many things happening that are horrible—all you have to do is watch the news. But there is much to be grateful for. Our blessings are countless.

Allow me to name a few things I am grateful for:

My family; huge varieties of fresh, affordable food, many of which I can grow in my garden; good health--even if it isn’t great, it could be worse; good friends; so many freedoms such as the freedom of religion, speech and thought; my parents—they give us life, something to greatly appreciate; my dog, Molly; my home--having a place to call home is something to be thankful for; my fishing pole--we have excellent recreational opportunities nearby that few others in the world have; fresh air to breathe and clean water to drink; computers, smartphones, etc.; YouTube; free time; a job I enjoy.

I could easily name a hundred more, and so could you.

Do material things make us happy? Perhaps for a short while. The things that provide lasting happiness and gratitude are things we can’t purchase—things like our families and friends, our health and abilities. Life is short, so let’s not take these for granted.

Gordon Green shared a story in the “Reader’s Digest” in 1956. The Thanksgiving he remembered most was the one in which he had the least to be thankful for. The year started off well. “One night when Gordon’s mother was doing her big wash, his father stepped in and took his turn over the washboard and asked his wife to rest and do her knitting. He said, ‘You spend more time doing the wash than sleeping. Do you think we should break down and get electricity?’ Although elated at the prospect, she shed a tear or two as she thought of the hay loader that wouldn’t be bought. So the electrical line went up their lane that year. They acquired a washing machine that worked all day by itself and brilliant lightbulbs that dangled from each ceiling. There were no more lamps to fill with oil…, no more sooty chimneys to wash.”

The coming of electricity to their farm was almost the last good thing that happened to them that year. Because of flooding, they lost all their crops, and sold their livestock at very low prices to get by. All they harvested was a patch of turnips. When it was Thanksgiving again, their mother said, ‘Maybe we’d better forget it this year. We haven’t even got a goose left.’ But on Thanksgiving morning, Gordon’s father brought in a jackrabbit, which his wife said would be tough. Thanksgiving dinner consisted of the jackrabbit and boiled turnips. The children refused to eat. Gordon’s father got up from the table and went up to the attic. He brought down the old oil lamp and placed it on the table. He lit the lamp, then turned off the electric lights. “When there was only the lamp again, they could hardly believe that it had been that dark before. They wondered how they had ever seen anything without the bright lights made possible by electricity. The food was blessed, and everyone ate. Gordon said, “In the humble dimness of the old lamp we were beginning to see clearly again…our home, for all its want, was so rich to us.”May we be truly thankful--there is so much to be thankful for.

Kerry Wright has owned and operated a business in the valley from 1990 to 2015. He is a father and an avid outdoorsman. He volunteers for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.