A Thanksgiving Thought

I love this time of year when my thoughts are more focused on my blessings as well as helping fill the needs of those around me. As I was laying in bed the other night and going over all I have to be thankful for, I remembered a lesson I learned a few years ago...
...John and I were always blessed financially and as long as I budgeted correctly, I could usually buy the things I needed and a lot of the things I wanted. There came a time, when John was starting his business, that money became really tight. We had to cut back our budget quite a bit. I was down to buying only necessities and feeling pretty sorry for myself about it. One night I stayed up late and had a pity party! I made a list of all of my wants and stared at it longingly, wondering when I would ever get any of it.
Just down the street from us there was a darling family with 5 little boys. They were not very well off, but refused to accept assistance from the church or anyone else. However, they were in church every week in their Sunday best. Their Sunday best was what most people would not consider "best" at all. I specifically remember one of the boys wearing sandals to church in the dead of winter (they walked to church). I asked him "Why are you wearing sandals in the snow?" He said "They're the nicest looking shoes I have." My heart pumped in pain. I noticed that his yellowing shirt was ironed and his shaggy hair was combed. He looked his best.
A day or two after my little pity party, was testimony meeting at church. The mother of these 5 boys got up to bear her testimony. She was wearing the same dress she wore to church each week. She said "I am blessed beyond measure." "You?" I thought. She went on, "Every night my children go to bed in a warm home with full bellies." I started to cry. "I have a loving husband and the true Gospel of God in my life," She finished. At least, that's all I remember because that's all I needed to hear.
You better believe I marched right home and tore that list apart. I decided then and there that I would never feel sorry for myself again because "my children go to bed every night in a warm bed with full bellies." And I too, have a loving husband and the true gospel in my life. And if I continued to count my blessings, I could never ever stop.
I hope that this Thanksgiving, we can all recognize that we are blessed beyond measure!