A Nickel in my Shoe

Here is a wonderful story, perfect to share on this day of Thanksgiving.

My ecclesiastical leader, Bishop Ron Thue, told of his experience as a young college student at Brigham Young University. He gave me permission to share it during a recent speaking engagement.

Years ago he was an engineering student on a foreign exchange scholarship. He had failed a test in an important class and was worried he might lose his scholarship and his dreams of a good education.

He was more than worried. The more he tried to have classmates explain the material, the more his frustration grew to panic. It seemed impossible for him to understand and grasp the concepts. He explained his plight to a good friend, another student, who had been assigned as his home teacher. (Home teachers are a part of a network set up in our church for monthly contact to share a gospel message and ensure a member's well-being).

His home teacher smiled at him and handed him a nickel. "Ron" he said, "put this nickel in your shoe and every time you feel it, say a prayer of gratitude. That's all. Just do it." Ron did as he was told and slipped the nickel in his shoe. As he walked across campus the next morning, he could feel the nickel and began to give thanks. He gave a lot of thanks. He had no idea how much he could find to be thankful for. The nickel was felt with every step. When he sat down in a class for a lecture, he forget about the nickel for a while. As soon as he stood up, he felt the nickel again and gave more thanks. This happened all day long.

At the end of the day, he walked into his professor's office. He told him, "You've got to help me. No one else can." He expressed how desperate he was to not fail his class. The professor took out a piece of paper and a pencil. He started to draw out an equation and explain the concept. My bishop said within three minutes, a light went on in his head, and his understanding was perfect. It was clear as a bell and made complete sense. He couldn't believe it had been so confusing only a day before.

He ended his talk by reminding us that we are commanded to give thanks in all things. A blessing from following this counsel is an enlightened mind. By choosing a grateful heart we are naturally enlightened by God's Spirit of Truth.

Today is the perfect opportunity to pause and ponder all the God given blessings in our lives. My family drove to Boise last night to share Thanksgiving with my parents. I'm so looking forward to our meal in about an hour! How important it is to adopt this focus daily.

What solutions are you looking for? What problems are you faced with that make you desperate for understanding? Replace desperation with gratitude and see where the Light takes you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Inmates and Gratitude

Yesterday I heard an awesome story about gratitude. I met a couple at a book signing and we had the best discussion about the rewards of having a grateful heart.

The husband of this couple used to work in the jail systems of Salt Lake County. He met with inmates regularly. One day he gave the inmates a challenge. He told them that during the next week they were to only say prayers of gratitude. He pointed out that if they had been praying, their prayers were most likely focused on things like; "please let the judge go easy on me....", etc. He told the inmates to expect the challenge to be difficult at first, and their prayers would probably be very short; but they should keep at it and they would discuss their experiences the following week.

One man had been in jail multiple times for DUI's and other drug charges. He was the first to report his results. Weeks before, he had added his name to a list hoping to be entered into a drug program for inmates similar to the AA program. Weeks went by without having his name called to attend the class. He had given up on ever having that opportunity. Towards the end of the gratitude challenge, a Warden stepped into the room where inmates were gathered and called his name to invite him to the class. He was amazed because there were still many names in front of his on the list. He couldn't explain what made the Warden flip through the pages on the clipboard and call his name.

I heard a handful of other stories about the inmates from this couple that were just as remarkable. It appears hearts were changed during that exercise and blessings followed.

Before this couple left, they told me they had recently lost their jobs. They are in their 50's and concerned about what is next for them. I was surprised to hear their news because their demeanor was peaceful and we had just had this great conversation about gratitude. I'm so impressed with them, and how they are choosing to face this trial.

As they continue to focus on the abundance in their life while they face this hardship, I'm sure doors will open for them. I hope to run into them again one day to discover (as my mother-in-law would say) what good will come from this.

What good will come into our lives as we tune into gratitude? Count your blessings....your mood will change! :) What a great time of year to do this! Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!