Life is Tough
Life is challenging. Life is difficult. Life is made all the more more difficult by evil influences in the world. Yet, life is also beautiful. It is a unique, paradoxical time to live. We are blessed with so very much. And yet, with the problems we face and the permissiveness surrounding us, it is easy to become discouraged and unhappy.
This is simply a re-wording of the introduction to President Monson’s October 2012 conference talk.
Solution?
So what is to be done with this painful paradox? President Monson gave a profound solution; a solution you may think you’ve heard before; but read closely and see if there is not more.
“I have found that, rather than dwelling on the negative, if we will take a step back and consider the blessings in our lives, including seemingly small, sometimes overlooked blessings, we can find greater happiness.”
Count your blessings? You’ve heard it before, right? But before you close this window and stop reading, examine his words a little closer.
“As I have reviewed the past 49 years, I have [had] countless experiences [that], at the time they transpired, often seemed unremarkable and even ordinary. And yet, in retrospect, they enriched and blessed lives—not the least of which was my own…”
“Reinforced constantly during my own review of the years has been my knowledge that our prayers are heard and answered. We are familiar with the truth found in 2 Nephi in the Book of Mormon: “Men are, that they might have joy.” I testify that much of that joy comes as we recognize that we can communicate with our Heavenly Father through prayer and that those prayers will be heard and answered…”
I have had [numerous experiences] wherein prayers were heard and answered and which, in retrospect, brought blessings into my life as well as the lives of others.”
Notice anything different than the usual: “Count your blessings”? I know I didn’t at first. But then I applied his counsel: “I would recommend this same exercise to you—namely, that you take an inventory of your life and look specifically for the blessings, large and small, you have received.”
So what came of this exercise for me? I noticed two very important principles emerge; two principles that were clearly taught in this same talk.
Blessings: Rain or River?
My view of blessings before this activity was limited, to say the least. I viewed blessings like random, sporadic drops of rain that came when I asked for them in moments of need.
So I started to inventory my life and look for blessings. I started by recounting the latest things that my mind could recall; blessings that had happened recently. And then I traced back further. And then some of the blessings in between were filled in. And then I traced back even further. And some more of the blessings in between were filled in.
I remembered a particularly meaningful priesthood blessing I had given one time. I had spoken some comforting words based on a scripture study from a few nights earlier.
And then I noticed it. Many of my later blessings had been conditional upon earlier blessings. I had been blessed with a good study, which had enabled me to speak the proper words of comfort during the blessing.
Blessings in your life are not like random, sporadic drops of rain. Rather, they are a mighty, constantly-flowing river that guide you through life's perils. They are directed, channeled, purposeful. As you count your blessings, you see the overarching influence the Lord has had in your life. You are able to see and recognize the hand of the Lord of your life, sometimes at the most critical of moments and the most important of crossroads, leading and guiding and directing you aright.
And so I traced my blessings farther and farther back. And as I did so, the influence of God in my life unfolded before my very eyes. I had been blessed with goodly parents who taught me the gospel, which in turn blessed me with a good upbringing, which in turn blessed me with the opportunity to go on a mission, which in turn blessed me with a love of scripture study, which in turn blessed me with a good study on a particular night, which in turn enabled me to speak the proper words of comfort during a blessing, which in turn allowed me the opportunity to profoundly bless one of God’s children.
Prayers and Happiness
This leads to the next discovery this activity revealed to me. I found that the things that I was most grateful for, and the things that had brought me the most happiness and meaning throughout my life, were those moments when I had been able to serve God’s children; when I had been able to be an answer to someone’s prayer; when I had been allowed to participate in God’s work of salvation.
These are the same things which President Monson addressed in his talk. When he counted his greatest blessings in life, they all revolved around being able to answer to someone's fervent prayer.
He recalled visiting a recently-paralyzed friend at the hospital, finding him despondent near the deep end of the hospital pool. This friend had been praying for relief from his sadness.
President Monson recalled his car breaking down on a cold night near Midway, Utah, and a kind young man picking them up to take them back to town. As a result, the young man later served a mission. This was an answer to his parents’ prayers.
President Monson recalled other such accounts and stated that these were just a "tiny sampling of the experiences I have had wherein prayers were heard and answered and which, in retrospect, brought blessings into my life as well as the lives of others."
Yet, at the time they transpired, they often seemed unremarkable and even ordinary. But in retrospect, they enriched and blessed lives.
This is why counting blessings is so important, and so helpful to happiness. These moments of service that bring great happiness to us usually transpire unnoticed. They only become noticed and appreciated once we count our blessings.
Read the words again: “Reinforced constantly during my own review of the years has been my knowledge that our prayers are heard and answered… I testify that much of [life’s] joy comes as we recognize that we can communicate with our Heavenly Father through prayer and that those prayers will be heard and answered.” There is a clear connection between happiness and prayers. There is a clear connection between happiness and being able to bless others.
Those moments when we are allowed to participate in God’s work by blessing others is, as the title of this entry suggests, a much overlooked blessing.
This activity of mine, inspired by the prophet’s words, occurred in early 2013. In early 2016, I read Alma 26 and noticed how these same principles were applied in Ammon’s life in a remarkable way. My next blog entry will address this issue more fully.
In a subsequent post, I discuss how these principles were also revealed in Alma's life.
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