In this season of giving and receiving, I've thought a lot about what I have been given. Not so much the material things, although those gifts are much appreciated, but the more intangible things. These are almost always the things I treasure most--those things that make an impact on my life and who I am as a person. So here is a list of the gifts I am most grateful for this year:
Opportunities. I've gotten to do some crazy things this year: courtside seats when BYU won their first round NCAA game since '93; cooking for 400 people in the mountains of Arizona; camping next to the Snake River in Idaho; going to a DCI competition and seeing Blue Knights, Blue Devils, and Santa Clara Vanguard live; wading at the bottom of Mystic Falls in Yellowstone National Park; teaching a beginning orchestra class. Then there are the simpler, more everyday things which are no less amazing for the frequency with which they occur: walking to the temple every week, rubbing shoulders and playing with extremely talented musicians, living in a community of saints, having siblings living near me even when I'm at school. I'm incredibly blessed. I have so many chances to do amazing things.
My family. They love me completely, no matter what. They have provided me with constant support--both material and emotional, they are my best audience, my favorite people to spend time with, and (in the words of Heidi) they think I'm a rockstar. They have no doubts about my capability to do anything that I decide to do. They're the best, hands down, no questions asked. I love them, and I can't think of anyone I'd rather spend the rest of forever with.
My friends. So many of my friends have been a great blessing in my life this year. They've given me smiles, an audience, support, love, and great happiness. Their simple and unfailing friendship has kept me sane throughout the past few insane months. Here are a few examples of those who have blessed my life by the way they live their lives:
I have a friend who, despite nearly full-time work, a heavy class load, church responsibilites, and an injured foot, gave hours of service each week of the semester. He never asked for recognition, and most of the people he served never realized how much time he gave to them. For me personally he was there whenver I needed a ride, a listening ear, and especially when I needed someone to make me laugh. Some people are of the opinion that he has no heart, but I disagree. If you can truly judge someone by the fruits of their labors, he has a heart on the same large scale as his stature.
I have a friend who has given everything she has to her chosen vocation. She worked and stressed and lost sleep over it, then got up and worked some more. Nothing stops her from giving her music and her teaching her whole heart and soul. Even more impressive to me was watching her grow over the course of the semester. She attemped things that some people thought might be beyond her reach. She was willing to stretch herself and learn from her failures. She wasn't closed to personal growth--she embraced it. And she grew by leaps and bounds.
I have a friend who, no matter the situation, will always stop to listen to me. No story is too trite, no problem to small for me to tell her about. She's heard all my problems, all my ridiculous stories, all my worries and fears throughout the course of my entire college experience. She never fails to give me good advice when I need it (whether I think I want it at that moment or not) and always, always believes in me, especially when I'm having a hard time believing in myself.
I have a friend who always makes time for people. He will invariably stop to greet everyone he knows and ask them how they're doing. If you're going from point A to point B with him, it's wise to plan for extra travel time so he can talk to the seven or eight people he runs into. He genuinely cares about people as people. He is also valiant in the cause of truth. He loves the gospel with his whole heart. You can see that love in his actions and his countenance. That love and the light it brings make him a joy to be around.
I have a professor whom I count as a friend who always listens to the Spirit. He works, he plans, he prepares, but when it comes time to deliver and the Holy Ghost says "No, do this instead of what you had planned," he does it without hesitation. His willingness to follow inspiration has given many people comfort and direction in times of need. He may not realize it, but he has answered my earnest prayers many times by his willingness to do what the Spirit tells him.
My Savior. I am ever and always grateful for Jesus Christ. He is my friend, my Lord, and my King. I love Him and I know He loves me. He is always there. No matter how hard life got this past year I knew I was never alone. He stood by me then and I know He will stand by me in the future. In His strength I can do all things. With those prophets, apostles, and faithful Saints who have gone before me I too declare that He is the Christ, the Living Son of the Living God.
To everyone who has made my life what it is, thank you. Thank you for the gift of your time, your talents, your example, and yourself. Merry Christmas, and may God bless each of us this Christmas night.
1 comment:
Jenny, I love you.
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