What I learned while folding laundry

Last week I was struggling pretty hard with some emotions that I thought that I had under control. Isn't it funny how sometimes the rational side of your brain and the irrational side just seem to collide at times? I was struggling with what I thought was an insufficient amount of gratitude shown towards me and my husband for something that we did for someone. I went into the situation knowing this would happen and telling myself that people express their gratitude in different ways and that all was fine............well, apparently it wasn't because as more days went on the more it started to really eat away at me especially knowing that if the roles were reversed how I would show and express my appreciation for this thing that was done. The thing that was bothering me the most is what I perceived was an attitude of expectation. Because you have you must give to me, which really frosts my cookies. I was getting the house ready for family to come and visit and decided to put my headphones on and just try to escape my reality for awhile. I really wanted to get over these feelings and knew I needed to knock it off, but I just couldn't seem to turn it off. So, while sitting on the floor of my bedroom folding laundry a thought came to my mind, and it was this....

The ten lepers. Did I really just get this thought? Maybe I better check this out. I immediately popped out the earphones and went to get my scriptures and opened them up to Luke 17:11-19. Who better to understand the feelings I felt than the savior himself who showed mercy to 10 lepers and only 1 returned to thank him. This one passage taught me 4 things. First; that Christ has this happen to him again and again, so he knew what I was going through. Second; that if someone could show such ingratitude for being healed of leprosy than certainly I was going to face this problem in my life. Thirdly; was that I was the one that needed to fall on my face and thank Heavenly Father for all the mercy he has shown me in my life and a way that I can show that gratitude was to recognise that all that I have is not mine and that my lesson for now was to give freely. The forth thing that I learned is that there are plenty of occasions in my life where I probably didn't show the proper amount of gratitude to people who have helped me out.

The next day in my inbox was an article from LDSLiving entitled "The Power of "Thank You.""
Robert Emmons, professor of psychology at the UofCA, was sited in this article for his belief that the power of a thank-you note is incredible, and that there are three main benefits:
1. Expressing emotions magnifies the feeling, so expressing thanks makes our gratitude stronger.
2. Expressing thanks builds and strengthens relationships. He says gratitude is the relationship building emotion, so not only do we benefit on an individual level, but we create better bonds with others.
3. It humbles us. the natural man has a self-serving bias and the tendency to take sole credit for everything positive. Acknowledging that something good is a result of someone else provides us with a humbling experience.

So, I am grateful for a Father in Heaven that took the time to show love and compassion towards me by teaching me such a great and valuable lesson (or 4). Does this mean that I am completely healed of my feeling, not quite, but I'm getting there with a much fuller understanding than I went into the situation with.

After thought ......Please don't try to guess who or what this is about because that is not the point. I really just wanted to tell the miraculous story of the revelation that was given so graceously to me when I least expected it or even thought I was deserving of it. This is my journal of sorts and I wanted the occasion documented and shared.

A lot can be learned while folding the laundry if you're listening!