A Gift

Imagine one of your most treasured possessions, perhaps it has real value, or just sentimental value.  Maybe it's BIG or possibly microscopic.  Now imagine a different gift, one that is intangible, one that was given to you by your parents and God.  Imagine a gift that takes nearly 3/4 of a year to give but can be taken away within seconds.  This gift is one of the most valued gifts you've ever received, though you may not even think of it as a gift.  It is highly coveted by those we cannot see, yet you still can't buy it or replace it.  It is taken for granted all to often, and all too often is wasted.  The gift I'm talking about is the gift of life.  

We all have been given a body created for us by our parents, our body possesses a spirit that was provided for us by our Heavenly Father.  This gift is so miraculous, that it is highly coveted by the devil's angels.   We never know how long we will be able to enjoy this gift, because it can be taken away from us in a matter of seconds.  We, as a society tend to waste our life away by putting time into the less important things such as video games, t.v., Facebook and other sources, when we could be serving others, and making the world a better place. 

I think many of us take our life for granted, I know I have several times.  It seems to me that we never quite know what we have until it's taken away, or it's threatened to be taken away.  The thought that brings this up tonight, is mostly about some of my loved ones who in recent years past have been given a time table put on their life.  As a loved one, it is hard to imagine your life without these people.  Hard to imagine your wedding without them or not having them be there to play with your children or there for your college graduation.

Do we honestly treat life as a gift, as the sacred blessing it truly is?  I think we all know that we can all do a little better.  We can love a little more.  Savor our relationships and time with our loved ones more.  And I'm sure we could all find the time wasters in our lives, and give up a portion of the time that we spend wasting time and use it for good.  In the words of Gordon B. Hinkley, "May we go with determination to try a little harder to be a little better."

Remember that gift I asked you to think about earlier, now take your life (complete with the trials you are facing, the experiences you've had, and the memories you have) compare it to your gift.  Now you decide, what is the best gift you've been given?  I hope you feel at least a little as I do.  May we move forward trying to be better people, and to appreciate what we have, while we still have it.