The Apostle Elder Henry B. Eyring gave a conference talk once (Oct. 2007) about remembering God in his daily life--recognizing that it is from Him that our blessings come. He decided to keep a daily journal, each night prayerfully "asking the questions: Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children?" As he took time to ponder over the events of the day, he "would see evidence of what God had done" for one of his family that he had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. In this manner he found ways to recognize and remember God’s kindness. He realized that "trying to remember had allowed God to show [him] what He had done". Elder Eyring then chose to preserve that memory in writing for the day that he and his loved ones could use it to remember how much God loves them and how much they need Him. He taught that God "loves us and blesses us, more than most of us have yet recognized".
Because of this talk, I have been keeping a record for my children for the past two years. I have lost sight of the purpose, however, and on some days it has turned into more of an avenue for venting than a monument to my faith in God. I have found, however, that on those days when I'm feeling the lowest, I can be lifted as I express gratitude for the hand of God in my life. It is impossible for me to feel sorry for myself and feel grateful at the same time. I had missed a key point of Elder Eyring's talk until today, though--I can ask Heavenly Father to show me each day what He has done for me, even if I can't see it. This is the proverbial window opening and letting the fresh air in for me! Of course, I am usually too wrapped up in my own small world to see what He's given me, too blind with emotion to begin to see what is right before me. So, if I ask Him to show me, He will!
To me, the beauty of the natural world, of food--fruits, vegetables, perfect pink shrimp, bright shiny gold and red mottle apples, avocados in their hard green rinds and soft, paler green flesh and beautiful pits--the way the colors blend and meld in a landscape, even a desert one, so naturally that if we don't try to notice, we don't--these are evidence of God's existence and of His love for each one of us. I want to share my experiences of every day with my children. I want them to know that I know that God lives and that He knows and loves each one of us. I want them to know that the suffering we all must endure can temper and refine us, if we let it, or it can destroy us, if we let it. The difference is in how we approach our trials.
