Crossroads

Paul told the Thessalonians, “Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks.” These two commandments are repeated often in scripture; to pray always and to give thanks in all things. In fact, I find them together so often I suspect they’re actually one commandment. I’ve been assigned to teach young people about gratitude so many times I’ve lost count. But until this week I’d never felt impressed to emphasize the “in every thing” part of the commandment. I could tell by the looks on my students’ faces the concept was new to them. It’s easy to focus on the good in your life, and rewarding to nurture gratefulness for things you treasure. But we’ve been told to be glad for everything, including things that cause pain. Dallin Oaks said, “When we give thanks in all things, we see hardships and adversities in the context of the purpose of life.” In other words, gratitude for all things brings eternal perspective.