Blessings & the Carnival

Recently, while preparing to teach a lesson in Relief Society about prayer, I re-read a talk given by S. Michael Wilcox. I have been pondering one part of it in particular - a reference to Luke 11 verses 11 to 13, where the Lord says "If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone?... If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give..."

The point he made in the talk is that sometimes, when we don't get what we pray for or expect, but instead get something that maybe we didn't want, we "turn our blessings into a stone". The author says, "I may interpret the given good as something bad by constantly thinking of what I wanted instead of what I received."

I've tried more in the past few weeks to see the blessings in my life instead of dwelling on the ones I want but do not have. One blessing I have in not having my own children is being able to be close to all my nieces and nephews. I absolutely adore them and, truth be told, spoil them at every opportunity. I am able to do things for them and with them that maybe I wouldn't be able to do if I had my own children to spend money and time on.

I thought of this as I returned home after taking my nephews to the carnival the other day. It was a joy to hold their little hands and help them onto the rides, then see their faces light up as the rides began to move. And then... ahhh... the cotton candy! I know it is insanely expensive for each of those rides, but since I can do it right now, I wanted to enjoy these blessings in my life.