Opportunity

Since the beginning of November I have been contemplating all that I have to be thankful for and more importantly how I could express my gratitude. I have found myself making long lists of things I am thankful for and in my idiocy, I actually believed that I had thought of almost everything for which I had to be thankful for, but yesterday something I had never really thought about came into my mind. I ran to the grocery store to buy a gallon of milk and found my cart loaded down with what I would term non-essentials such as candy, a magazine, chips, and a couple of beautiful poinsettias. As I was checking out I looked behind the counter and noticed something strange. I noticed that all of the baby formula in the grocery store was locked inside of a case. It occurred to me that the only logical explanation for baby formula being locked up would be that people had resorted to stealing it. I spent the following few seconds feeling really sorry for people so desperate that they had to steal baby formula and I felt that if their baby was that hungry maybe they were justified in that action. Next, I saw a young mother ask the store manager if he could unlock the case so that she could buy some formula and I watched as she counted out her dollars, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies to buy the formula. I noticed that she had only enough to buy the baby food not a penny more. There were no non-essentials in her cart, just one can of baby formula.
Living in a city like Washington D.C. you have the benefit of enjoying a great deal of diversity. The amount of diversity was frightening to me when we first arrived, but it is now one of the things I enjoy most. In our ward alone there are 22 different nationalities represented. Many of the individuals in this area have sacrificed much to be able to live in this great nation. Most live in small apartments with many family members, few own cars, and many work more than one job, English is always a second language, and poverty is commonplace. As I looked at this beautiful young woman counting her pennies to buy the baby food, I realized something I definitely hadn't thanked my Heavenly Father for and that was opportunity. I have been blessed with great opportunities. I had the opportunity to be born in this country. I have been blessed with the opportunity of being raised by parents who loved me and were able to provide a good home for me. I was blessed with the opportunity of an education and employment. I was blessed with the opportunity to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ from a very young age. A clear realization came to me as I looked at the mother. I certainly was not smarter, more talented, braver, or more kind than her. It was clear to me through her tired smile that she had a great capacity to love others, something I often lack, yet it was also clear that her life was difficult and the one thing that was different about the two of us was that I had been given opportunities and she was working hard to create some opportunities for herself.
So, this Thanksgiving I am so thankful for the gifts I have been given and for the opportunities that our Heavenly Father has provided to me. I hope that I can make the most of these opportunities and use them in a way that can bless the lives of others, especially those who are struggling like the mother at the grocery store.