Thankful

I have been listening to Josh Grobin's new Christmas CD. It is FABULOUS!!!!! One of the songs on there is called "Thankful". I loved it so much that I bought the sheet music so that I can sing it whenever I want. Another bonus of owning the sheet music is that I get to have a written copy of all of the lyrics. I want to share the lyrics with you because they have really hit home with me:

Thankful
Some days we forget to look around us
Some days we can't see the joy that surrounds us
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give

So for tonight we pray for
what we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
what we still can't see.
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.

Look beyond ourselves, there's so much sorrow.
It's way to late to say, "I'll cry tomorrow."
Each of us must find our truth;
It's so long overdue.

So for tonight we pray for
what we know can be.
And every day we hope for
what we still can't see.
It's us to us, to be the change
And even though we all can still do more,
There's so much to be thankful for.

Even with our differences,
there is a place we're all connected.
Each of us can find each other's light.

So for tonight, we pray for
What we know can be,
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see.
It's up to us to be the change
And even though this world needs so much more
There's so much to be thankful for.

This song is soooo beautiful and it's message is so inspiring. I love that it is on his Christmas album because it seems as though at this time of year, people start to see what is really going on around them and they start to be a little more helpful, and a little more understanding. I really love the first verse when it talks about how we get so caught up inside ourselves that we can't see the joy that surrounds us. I know that this happens to me frequently. I get worried about my contractions, or my kids, or whatever else, and I get bogged down so that I can't see all of the wonderful things that are happening all around me that do bring me joy. I fail to notice how wonderful my family is and how much I love my new house. I forget to remember that the whole reason I celebrate Christmas isn't because this was the day that the Savior was born. . . .babies are born every day. I celebrate Christmas because on the day that the Savior was born, he gave the world hope for redemption. It wasn't Christ's birth that saves us from our sins, it was his Atonement. Without the atonement he would have just been another baby. I love how much hope and peace I feel at this time of year. And, yes, the world does need so much more. . . . but there is so much to be thankful for.