More Precious than Rubies

I recently sent a gift and I received a thank you of sorts. They said it was nice, but that it would have been better, had it been something they really wanted. Of course my first reaction was hurt, after all I had spent time and money on the gift and thought I had gotten something that they would like. Then, this morning as I listened to President Eyring's conference talk, I sat pondering my experience and because of the spirit speaking to me thru this beloved man, I realized I made comments like that to my Heavenly Father in a very real way on almost a daily basis. How many times have I received marvelous and wondrous gifts from my loving Father and dismissed them, or wished I would have received more or something I thought would be better. It was truly a moment of awakening.

I am now grateful to this person for making this statement and showing me why ingratitude can cause so much damage to our ability to receive and appreciate gifts. To President Eyring, who always carries the spirit with him so strongly, and especially to a forgiving, loving Father in Heaven, who still stands ready to bless me with His gifts and love even though for the most part I am unappreciative and sometimes don't even notice. I pray that when I dismiss a tender mercy as coincidence or take the kindness of a stranger for granted that I will remember this most valuable lesson. Of course, I am not comparing my gift to those of our Heavenly Father, mine was small and of no real value, the gifts of our Father are more precious than rubies.