Françoise was asked to give a talk in church today on Thanksgiving and Gratitude. I’m not sure if she was grateful about giving a talk but I do know that she sighed a very big sigh of relief at the end of it. She ended her talk by sharing her testimony in French. She quotes from Sis Bonnie Parkin’s General Conference talk of this year. I asked if I could post snippets of her talk here:
“In 1832 (two years after the organisation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), the Lord saw the need to prepare the Church for coming tribulations. Tribulations are frightening. And yet the Lord said, “And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. . . [D&C 78:18]” It is not easy to be of good cheer during trials. However, the promise that the Lord will lead us along can be comforting.
The last two years my brother and sister and I went to school in France (where my Dad is from) in order to be immersed in the language and culture. It sounded like a wonderful adventure and it was. At least after the first couple of months. The first couple of months was like being dropped in the deep end of a pool. Which is fine if you know how to swim but if you have never swam before, one thought that comes to mind is “drowning.” At least that’s what it was like for me. A new school, a new country, a new language. Everything was new.
Of course my first week of school went surprisingly well (probably due to the fact that I couldn’t understand a word that was said). After the first week however, the novelty of there being a foreign student in their midst wore off and the students loved nothing more than to make fun of my inability to speak French and to laugh at my accent. As the days went by I would quickly come to learn what it would feel like to be lonely. It’s an awful feeling. In fact it’s miserable.
“Mercies and blessings come in different forms—sometimes as hard things. Yet the Lord said, “Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things.” All things means just that: good things, difficult things—not just some things. He has commanded us to be grateful because He knows being grateful will make us happy. This is another evidence of His love.”
However, while I may have felt lonely, I knew that I wasn’t alone. There were many times where I prayed for help, and many times where I felt reassured by His love. Mostly though, I felt challenged to learn quickly (because there’s nothing worse than feeling slightly suspicious after saying yes, when someone had just asked you if you were an idiot). As my vocabulary and understanding grew, so too did my ability to speak; and with more practice I became comfortable communicating.
Learning to speak another language certainly wasn’t easy, in fact it took me nine months to feel like I had owned it. And because it took me that long to learn the language, my parents insisted that we stay another year so that we would come away with better experiences. Another year didn’t sound like a good idea to me but with my ability to speak came the ability to make friends for which I am grateful for because it made the second year so much more fun (it’s always nice to have friends). I am also grateful for the ability to speak another language. I think it’s kinda cool now. And even though I had an awful first year, I look back with fond memories, because I know I have grown a lot from those experiences for which I am thankful for too.
“Gratitude is a Spirit-filled principle. It opens our minds to a universe permeated with the richness of a living God. Through it, we become spiritually aware of the wonder of the smallest things, which gladden our hearts with their messages of God’s love. This grateful awareness heightens our sensitivity to divine direction. When we communicate gratitude, we can be filled with the Spirit and connected to those around us and the Lord. Gratitude inspires happiness and carries divine influence. “Live in thanksgiving daily,” said Amulek, “for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you.”
