Gratitude in the Valley of the Shadow of Death

Something that has been on my mind a lot over the last couple of weeks is this principle of being grateful in every circumstance, the good times and the bad. I write about this topic selfishly because I know that I will need the blessings that result from a grateful attitude as the difficulties and frustrations of another school year approaches. I am reminded of Psalms 23 which shows David's gratitude in spite of his "walk through the valley of the shadow of death." David does not complain about these difficulties of the valley of the shadow of death neither does he ask resentfully "why God did this happen to me?" With a grateful heart he recounted how the Lord, "maketh [him] to lie down in green pastures, that he "leadeth [him] beside the still waters and restores [his] wounded soul." David's faith permitted him to "drink the bitter cup without becoming bitter (Maxwell)" and to see beyond his current hardships and appreciate "the goodness and mercy which followed [him] all the days of [his] life" and ultimately exclaim, "my cup runneth over."

It is very easy to be grateful for the blessings that God has given us when our lives are thriving, but what about when life takes an unexpected turn? Are we only to be grateful during times of prosperity and relative ease? It is difficult enough to deal with the trials and struggles that we all go through each day. Our worries, fears and struggles can consume our thoughts leaving us with little or no time to recognize and feel gratitude in our hearts. When truth be told feeling the feelings of gratitude in spite of and during the worst of our troubles will relieve the tension of our troubled minds, increase our faith and ability to accept God's will.

Dieter Uchtdorf recently said:

"Everyone’s situation is different, and the details of each life are unique. Nevertheless, I have learned that there is something that would take away the bitterness that may come into our lives. There is one thing we can do to make life sweeter, more joyful, even glorious. We can be grateful! It might sound contrary to the wisdom of the world to suggest that one who is burdened with sorrow should give thanks to God. But those who set aside the bottle of bitterness and lift instead the goblet of gratitude can find a purifying drink of healing, peace, and understanding."

You might be thinking as I have often thought that to be grateful all the time is good in principle but there are some days when it seems like there is nothing to be grateful for. It could be that Monday when the car breaks down, the air conditioning goes out and you failed the test that you needed to do well on. We can struggle finding things to be grateful for during prolonged illness or unemployment, the death of a loved one or when discouragement relentlessly stalks are minds day and night. Even when we can't count our blessings, we can still have an attitude of gratitude but it takes faith and confidence that God is hearing our prayers and despite our feelings that the whole world is falling apart, He alone will walk with us and carry us. Dieter Uchtdorf continued "Being grateful in our circumstances is an act of faith in God. It requires that we trust God and hope for things we may not see but which are true. True gratitude is an expression of hope and testimony. It comes from acknowledging that we do not always understand the trials of life but trusting that one day we will."

I am reminded of an experience told by David Bednar about how an attitude of gratitude encouraged the healing, peace and understanding spoken of in the midst of a tragedy in his life.

"Sister Bednar and I had been informed about the unexpected death of a dear friend, and our immediate desire was to pray for the surviving spouse and children. As I invited my wife to offer the prayer, a member of the Twelve [who was a guest in our home], unaware of the tragedy, graciously suggested that in the prayer Sister Bednar express only appreciation for blessings received and ask for nothing. Given the unexpected tragedy, requesting blessings for our friends initially seemed to us more urgent than expressing thanks. Sister Bednar responded in faith to the direction she received. She thanked Heavenly Father for meaningful and memorable experiences with this dear friend. She communicated sincere gratitude for the Holy Ghost as the Comforter and for the gifts of the Spirit that enable us to face adversity and to serve others. Most importantly, she expressed appreciation for the plan of salvation, for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, for His Resurrection, and for the ordinances and covenants of the restored gospel which make it possible for families to be together forever. Our family learned from that experience a great lesson about the power of thankfulness in meaningful prayer. We learned that our gratefulness for the plan of happiness and for the Savior’s mission of salvation provided needed reassurance and strengthened our confidence that all would be well with our dear friends."

Job, who despite losing his livelihood, servants, and even his cherished family of 7 children, still said "the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21)." Despite being afflicted with painful boils and other maladies he would not curse God (Job 2:10). Having his closest friends turn away from him, stricken with grief and seemingly being forsaken by the God whom he loved most, he still was able to say with confidence, "I know that my Redeemer liveth...And though skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God (Job 19:25-26)." Job's gratitude for and recognition of God's hand was not limited to times of prosperity, but Job saw clearly through severe affliction and found the power to endure in Christ's grace as he continued in a disposition of gratitude and faith.

We, like Job, will have times when we figuratively "walk through the valley of the shadow of death", however we can maintain a grateful attitude because we know that God is with us and His "goodness and mercy [has followed us] through the storm therefore our "cup runneth over (Psalms 23)."