A wonderful resource for the meaning of words, especially those we find in our canon of scripture, is Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary.
To properly understand how gratitude is manifested in our lives, we must understand the word itself.
In my mind, my Zambian brothers and sisters were epitomizing the counsel Amulek gave in Alma 34:38 when he counseled us to "live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which doth bestow upon you." Many mercies and blessings, I learned, does not equate to material possessions and temporal comfort. This genuine gratitude was manifested, among other ways, in devout, verbal expressions of love for God. Whereas my gratitude had always been based on an appreciation for material possessions, theirs was based on the truly important things in life: family, community, love, daily sustenance, and the gift of life. Their demonstration of gratitude was genuine and pervasive. What I learned over the course of my three weeks in Africa was that not only is it possible, it is powerful. One might find it easy to be grateful when in the possession of a nice home, new car, an iPod, and other luxuries… but how does one cultivate gratitude when living in poverty? And yet, despite their struggles and temporal setbacks, these people showed me what an "attitude of gratitude" is. Poor living conditions, meager access to water, and a 94% unemployment rate. What I witnessed was nothing short of a miracle in my mind: a destitute people, lucky to have one meal a day, and owning little more than what you could carry in a backpack. This summer I had the opportunity to go on a three week service trip to Zambia, Africa. It’s truly inspiring to see their faith demonstrated through song. Just this morning while eating breakfast, the four women that ran the front desk at our little motel (if you can call it that) sang a few beautiful songs for us, most of which had to do with God’s love and power and ability to save us.
The people’s faith in God here is often amazing. This is demonstrated in a common conclusion of their prayers when they say "we have so many things to ask for, but these things we leave in thy hands, in the name of Jesus Christ." Alma teaches the same principle in Alma 29 when he learns that we should be content with what God has given us. I’m amazed at the ability of the Zambians to be content with what they have, which is usually next to nothing.
0 kommentar(er)
