Don’t curse your blessings

At present, I’m in Ashburn, Virginia recuperating at my aunt and uncle’s home.  The last week or so that I’ve been here has involved me sitting around a lot, sleeping, eating, and pondering.  With such a lifestyle, one’s purpose becomes very difficult to see and understand.  Still though, I have to remind myself that this is not a permanent condition; I will walk again and hopefully find a greater depth to my previous standards of usefulness (I’ve taken a certain amount of pride in being the “go to guy” when my friends need something whether it’s driving a moving truck for someone who’s afraid of driving in Manhattan or just being tall enough to change a light bulb, I miss these sorts of activities).  My initial thought though is that there is more to this trial than simply coming away with a greater appreciation for what my mortal body can do.  There’s a more poignant element centered in a personal values realignment.  To illustrate, it seems best to describe my grandpa.

My family lived with my grandparents for several years until both of them passed away. My grandpa had cancer for the last 20 years of his life and even though he was reasonably self-sufficient, he wasn’t able to do what he once could, physically.  He accepted that limitation though and learned to extend himself in other ways.  Whether that was a conscious decision or not, I’m not really sure but what is clear is how he developed himself.  He was known in his ward as being the one who could explain almost any passage of scripture.  Besides that, he was a faithful temple worker who usually spent 2 days or more a week at the Temple.  What’s most memorable though about my grandpa was the love he had and how that love was known.  He lived a hard life and was still soft emotionally.  He cared deeply for everyone around him, especially my grandma.  (No doubt that he was able to love others as easily as he did because of the love which he had developed through his marriage.)  He was never in short supply of love because he gave it so freely.  I believe that the Lord places wonderful people in our lives at least in part for us to learn from their examples.  Such as it is from my grandpa (really both of my grandpas were very loving, I just had more personal interaction with grandpa Carroll).  He left a legacy and example of love which his friends still speak of more than 15 years after his passing.  How can I follow his example?  How can I express my love to others in a way that they see the love of the Lord through my actions?  Although these are deep questions, answeing them seems to be a worthy goal for the next few months.  How have you learned to love more freely?