The Beginning of Greatness

I remember a couple Januarys ago, I experienced a few weeks of daily spiritual impressions of gratitude for my body, specifically, my ability to walk. It was weird, but several times a day I would be walking up a flight of stairs or going on early morning runs on icy sidewalks and the vision of me falling and twisting an ankle would flash through my mind. I would always immediately say a prayer of gratitude for that fact that my body was healthy and unharmed and as the week wore on I carried around with me a sense of underlying wonder for the body and it's ability to walk and move with such ease. I distinctly remember thinking, "I'm so glad I'm remembering to be grateful because now I won't need a hard lesson to teach me to be grateful."

Apparently I had a different hard lesson to learn. At the end of the month, I sprained my ankle in a wicked game of Twister when five guys fell on top of me. I was confused. Gratitude was supposed to be a magical protection and save you from experiences that force you to be grateful of things you always take for granted. It wasn't fair, I had been willingly, abundantly, and articulately grateful for my ability to walk - that was supposed to protect me from losing it.

I guess what I needed to learn was that gratitude is more a way of living, more a foundation for goodness than it is anything else. I thought about the weeks leading up to my injury and how my gratitude helped me build faith in God for making such miraculous creations. It also helped increase my hope in the resurrection and the ability for my body and spirit to become like God. Gratitude also led me to deepen my feelings of charity in surprising ways. I was more aware of opportunities for service - having more empathy and understanding. And because I was so focused on being grateful for my own body, I was even less envious of those who might have much more reasons to be grateful for their much better looking bodies. President Faust said, "Gratitude is the beginning of greatness." I really believe that if we can cultivate gratitude, we will find a stronger power to develop all other qualities God wants us to have.

Here is my gratitude list, or I guess the things that bring any sort of greatness into my life:

1. My family:

A-Dad

B-Mom

C-Kimmi

D-Ben

E-Lizzi

F-Kate

G-Toph

H-Baby Soapie

I-Al

J-Morgan (Big)

K-Gracie

J-Jackpot

L-Nutmeg

M-KellBell

N-BobbyLuanda

O-Liz

P-Belle

Q-SarahSubaru

R-Ria

S-Smoodycakes

2. Prayer

3. The Atonement

4. Good friends

5. Learning

6. Goals

7. Laughter

And just because I'm not always comfortable with sappy general gratitude lists, I'm going to add that I'm grateful for:

8. Old ladies at my work that tell me in angry German accents that we must keep zee animals out and only have zee humans inside, oddervise there will be da fleas.

9. Little girls at my work that tell me I am a princess.

10. Debates about whether the Duggars should keep having more children.

11. The food network

12. Mango pie

13. Good books

A. Dr. Seuss

B. Shakespeare

C. Elizabeth Goudge

D. Robert Farrell Smith

14. Carebear checks

15. The Pughs

A. Will Shortz

16.Walkie Talkies

17. The BYU Travel Office

18. Fin-tipped gel pens

D&C 78:19