Blessings

And ye must give thanks unto God in the Spirit for whatsoever blessing ye are blessed with.
Doctrine and Covenants 46:32

On Sundays I have the privilege of teaching 6 girls ages 11-12 for about 50 minutes. It's really one of the highlights of my week. Besides loving that age of kids, they are not too old to think they are too cool and still really interested in learning, they are also amazing girls. I have come to love each one of them in the fifteen months or so I've been their teacher. A couple of Sundays ago I taught a lesson where I learned more than anyone, which happens most of the time, honestly (which is one reason why I love teaching so much). It was on gratitude, which is the perpetual lesson associated with my health problems this last year.

One of my girls moved up from Round Rock, Texas about a year before we did and she is still adjusting to the cold weather. Another one of my girls is a Minnesota native to the core and she was saying how she was grateful for winter. This led to an interesting discussion because of the scripture italicized above which we had read earlier. If we have the perspective that everything that happens in our lives is a blessing (yes it sounds very Pollyanna, stay with me) and we are grateful for "whatsoever blessing ye are blessed with," then you give those "blessings" power to bless your life.

Like my back. I certainly didn't chose this one and I spent a fair amount of energy this fall languishing in the thought that I didn't want to have the chronic pain challenge my whole life. I wanted to be the one busy and energetic and serving others, not the one on the couch scrapping by. But every time I have started doing as this scripture commands, I was happier, more positive, and closer to the Lord. And I give this "trial" power to be a blessing in my life. We will save the lessons I've learned for my Thanksgiving post and instead mention my adorable husband here.

Every morning we try and have a family devotional before Eric leaves for school. Our thought is that this will help set a pattern for family scripture study when Jane is old enough. And it's a do-able baby step for us. This morning I shared this scripture and my thoughts and Eric said: "See, Jane, some people think being short is a bad thing, but I learned a long time ago it's actually a blessing..." What a cute, little husband I have!