This week I had an example of how sometimes our prayers are answered in ways we don't expect. And it was also a beautiful illustration of the fact that our Heavenly Father knows us. He knows what we need, and he knows it long before we do. I have been trying to climb up my spiritual latter so to speak lately, attempting to remove myself from the stagnant state I've been residing in... And this week I remembered, that all the times in my life that I remember being full of love and happiness and a desire to serve others and testify of Christ... Well all those times were when my heart was full of gratitude.
I remember giving testimony of the power of gratitude and what a wonderful motivator it is. Gratitude lifts us up. It allows us to love our God more deeply and with more understanding. And when we allow the Holy Ghost to guide our words, gratitude can give us the words for our testimonies. Without gratitude we cannot love God for we are not grateful for the many things He has done for us.
Anyway, this week I began praying that I could once again be blessed with that attitude of gratitude. One of the ways I achieved that the last time was by having my morning prayer be filled with only with things I was thankful for. So I had the intent to start again this week.
The beautiful thing about this is.. Two Sundays ago, someone was prompted to share a story in their Sunday school lesson. And on that Sunday I was prompted to send that person a random text thanking them for sharing their story. And that one text turned into a series of texts which turned into a friendship which led to hanging out in person which led to a series of more stories shared and more promptings and a closer friendship.
Last night (I mean Tuesday night) I was praying before I went to bed and I just felt overjoyed by the sense of gratitude I felt. And it was beautiful. And I realized.. That this friendship had been an answer to my prayer. And the answer had begun it's process a little over a week ago with just one little text. Did you catch that!? The answer to my prayer was already in the works before I even prayed for it.
So like I said.. Heavenly Father knows us. And He knows what we need a lot better than we do. I didn't know I needed a friend like her. I barely knew her if at all. I didn't even know I needed a friend. I didn't know I needed the conversations we've had. I would never have asked for what's happened because it was beyond my wildest dreams.
Let me go back to the idea that all I had to do was ask... I can't help but think... "Why didn't I ask sooner!?" Haha.. That's a powerful concept to grasp. I still need to do what I had planned. I still need to read my scriptures, find more opportunities to bear testimony, go to the temple, write in my journal, and pray to feel gratitude in my heart every day. Because you can't bank your whole spirituality on one experience or one person obviously. Unless that one person is Christ.
Speaking of which.. While we're on that topic, let me just mention something I was thinking about during General Conference this past weekend.. I like to feel independent. I like to think I'm an independent person. I do. But it hit me on Sunday I think it was.. That it is and always will be okay to be dependent on Christ. He is our savior.. So it doesn't even matter if I feel okay being dependent on Him or not because it doesn't change anything either way! And I think it's better to realize it and walk a little closer to His hand so He can catch me when I fall. Anyway.. I hope I can hold on to the last week and a half of memories made with my new-found friend. I look forward to making a lot more memories with her, and with a lot of other people for that matter. I look forward to being pulled up, and pulling others up with me. I'm trying to climb up myself as best I can, but Christ is there to lend a helping hand.
