Another Thanksgiving Day has come and gone, filled, as always, with traditional food, pie, children, friends, and restocking the woodpile. We are thankful for the same things as usual.
But today in Church I gained a broader perspective of things to be thankful for. Brother and Sister Stroud, of our stake, spoke on their recent mission to Mongolia. As with so many who serve outside of the United States, they saw firsthand that we Americans waste more than these people ever have. Yet they do not complain. When its 40 degrees below zero and there's no hot water, they do not complain. They willingly walk through blizzards, literally, to a baptism, where the new member enters the chilly water with a gasp and arises with a joyful smile. They cheerfully save for years for the privilege of traveling once in their life to the temple. And fully 10% of the membership serve full-time missions.
Thankfulness means more than just saying "thank-you," important as that is. Thankfulness is a feeling of gratitude to the One who provides everything. It's a feeling of gratitude for each kindness shown by our fellowman. It's a feeling of gratitude for the creative geniuses through the ages who have contributed to improving the general lot of mankind. Thankfulness is not wasting. Thankfulness is not complaining. Thankfulness is looking at what we have, and not at what we lack.
If America is entering the twilight, it is appropriate to be thankful for the material blessings we have enjoyed. As long as they last, we may be thankful for abundant commercial goods, gasoline and cars and travel, electricity to satisfy every whim, and hot water. And if these blessings are withdrawn, gradually or suddenly, we will have no less than the vast majority of our brothers and sisters on this planet through the ages, who found reason for gratitude. Then we can even be thankful for memories. Then perhaps we can see more clearly to be thankful for hope and faith.
