A is for Attitude

I am currently reading a book that is helping reinforce why Attitude is so important. I bought the book "The boy who came back from heaven" yesterday - Wanted to stay up reading, but at midnight told myself I should go to bed. I've been reading it most of the morning, and I'm loving it -

Brief sum up of the story setting: in 2004 the dad Kevin and his son Alex are in a terrible accident. Alex is 6 years old and breaks his spine and is in a coma for 2 months lingering between life and death, one evening it's the mom's turn to stay with Alex at the hospital - Kevin's turn to stay at home with the other 3 kids. That night there is an ice storm and the power goes out. In the dark, the dad tries to pack up a bag and they go spend the night with a family member. When he comes home the next day, there is a fallen tree blocking the driveway. With what he and his family have been through, a fallen tree is no biggie - he gets out of the car and walks around it. Sees lots of other trees fallen over. Calls his dad to say "I'm going to need your help to clear off all these fallen trees. Atleast none of them fell on the house..." and as he said that, the house comes in view and there is a tree on it and the roof has fallen in! "Um, let me call you back..."

From page 75 - I quote Kevin's father:

When Kevin called back and told me about the tree on the house, my first response was to laugh - not a laugh of calllousness, but a laugh of joy at the goodness of God. I truly mean that. For me, the question isn't, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" but "Why does anything good happen at all?" We certainly don't deserve it.

I told Kevin, "First, consider that the power went out. What a great blessing. Had it not gone out, you would have been in the house with the kids when the tree struck the roof. Second, you badly needed to replace your roof anyway, now you'll get a brand-new one, and your insurance is going to pay for it! And third, I have one question, Kevin: Which trees were taken down in this storm? All the weak ones! The strong trees are still standing. You've received a natural pruning, making your property safer and healthier, leaving the strong trees for your family to enjoy. By next July, you won't be able to tell a single tree was taken down."

The hand of God was everywhere to be seen in this situation, but, as I pointed out to Kevin, we have to be willing to see it - to receive it as God's good in our lives.

I thought that was great. Also, when Kevin's dad first came to the hospital where his grandson was laying in critical condition, he put his arm around Kevin and said "Son, many people in the world would love for this to be their worst problem." December of that year was the tsunami in Thailand, and Kevin thought "I still have Alex, I still have my home... 'many people in the world would love for this to be their worst day.'"

One last quote from Kevin's father: "Does our daily focus on the ordinary events of life dampen our awareness of the providential and miraculous evens occurring in and around us all the time?"

Isn't that great? In 2012, I'm going to continue to have a good attitude. When trials come, and they will, know that God loves you and wants to bless you, and that your trial is in fact actually a blessing. Our challenge sometimes is to see how it is a blessing.

1 Nephi 11:17 - like the prophet Nephi, I know God loves his children.

I'm going to go read some more. :)