Talk given at Stake Confrence, 5/18/08
Nick was a boy with many blessings. Unfortunately, Nick was so finicky that sometimes, his family called him “Picky Nicky.” He was picky about his clothes. He was picky about his toys. And he was especially picky about his food.
One day Mom made Nick’s favorite dish—macaroni and cheese. She served it to him in his favorite bowl, gave him his favorite spoon to eat it with, and expected him to say, “Yum! Yum! My favorite!” But all Nick said was, “It isn’t cheesy enough.”
Mom took a deep breath, “Nick, I have had enough! You don’t like gelatin because it keeps falling off your spoon. You won’t eat tomatoes because they have seeds. Now you’re even complaining about macaroni and cheese! Starting tomorrow, you are in charge of the cooking!”
When Nick went downstairs the next morning, Mom, Dad, and Tyler were already at the kitchen table.
“We’re waiting for breakfast. We would like some pancakes, please,” Mom said.
“I don’t know how to make pancakes. How about cereal?”
“I don’t want cereal today,” Mom said.
“I want pancakes,” Tyler said.
“Get the pancake mix out of the pantry and read the directions on the box,” Mom said. “I’ll help you if you don’t understand them.”
Nick was upset. Why couldn’t they just eat cereal? But everyone was staring at him, so he got out the pancake mix.
Mom helped him figure out what to do, but it still wasn’t easy. As he put the pancake mix into a big bowl, he spilled some onto the counter. And when he cracked two eggs into the mix, pieces of shell fell into the bowl too. It took a while to fish them out—yuck! Finally he added the milk and stirred everything together. He scooped up some batter with a measuring cup and poured it on the hot, oiled griddle Mom had gotten ready for him.
“Remember,” Dad said, “I like thin, little pancakes—lots of them.”
“And I like fat, round pancakes,” Tyler said.
“I want big, brown, crispy ones,” Mom said.
After a few minutes, Nick looked at the pancakes on the griddle. None of them was thin and little, or fat and round, or brown and crispy. One pancake was flat but big. Another was round but lumpy. And the biggest one was brown, all right, but it looked soggy in the center. He put the pancakes on three plates. He gave one to Dad, another to Mom, and the last to Tyler. Then he got out the syrup and butter and put them on the table.
“This isn’t thin and little,” Dad said. “It’s flat and big and not even round. And there’s only one!”
“My pancake looks lumpy,” Tyler said.
“And mine looks soggy in the center,” Mom said. “Maybe you’d better make some more for us.”
“Maybe they’ll be OK once you put on the butter and syrup.”
Nick was getting upset. They were just being picky. “Oh!” He thought, that is what I do.
While the rest of the family ate their pancakes, Nick ate his favorite cereal in his favorite bowl with his favorite spoon. No one said anything more.
After breakfast Nick helped Mom clean up the kitchen. As he was putting the last plate into the dishwasher, Mom was wiping off the table.
“Mom,” he said softly, “will you make the sandwiches for lunch? Any kind will be OK.”
Mom smiled. “OK, Nick,” she said.
This story of “Picky Nicky,” was adapted from a story that appeared in the Feb 1993 issue of the Friend.
Today I am speaking mostly to the primary children. I am proud of all the things our children do to help those around them. I have heard children tell stories of sharing the gospel, helping at home, and loving their brothers and sisters. In primary each child is learning that they are a son or daughter of God and they can follow His example.
I would like to talk about one way primary children can help strengthen their families. That is by saying thank-you.
President Hinckley told us, “There are two little words in the English language that perhaps mean more than all others. They are “thank you.” (A Prophet’s Counsel and Prayer for Youth. Ensign Jan 2001)
When you say thank you to your family for the things they do for you, your whole family is blessed. When my son says “Thank you” for taking him to the park, I know that I will want to take him fun places again. This week, after I finished unloading the dishwasher, my almost 2 year old daughter peered into the empty dishwasher, clapped her hands and said “Yea Mommy.” The times that my children are thankful are the times that a spirit of peace can be felt in our home. You can help bring that same feeling into your home by saying Thank you.
Saying thank you is a way to show your family that you love them.
One primary song has very simple words, but a powerful message. This song is called “I am glad for many things.” (pg 151)
I am glad for many things, many things, many things.
I am glad for many things that are mine today.
Thank you, thank you, my heart sings, my heart sings, my heart sings.
Thank you for the many things that are mine today.
Heavenly Father does not want us to be “Picky” like the beginning of the story of Picky Nicky. He wants us to recognize the things others do for us, just like Nick was at the end of the story. In D&C 46:32, Heavenly Father tells us “And ye must give thanks unto God in the Spirit for whatsoever blessing ye are blessed with.” And in D&C 59:7 he says Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things.
In the 2007 April Confrence, Sister Bonnie Parkin shared the following story. “A family was going through a difficult time. It was hard for them not to focus on their challenges. The mother wrote: “Our world had completely crumpled, so we turned to Heavenly Father for guidance. Almost immediately we realized that we were surrounded by goodness and were being cheered on from every side. We began as a family to express our gratitude to each other as well as to the Lord daily. A close friend pointed out to me that our family’s ‘blessing basket’ was overflowing. From that conversation came a sort of game, which my children and I grew to love. Before family prayer each night we would talk about how our day had gone and then share with each other all of the many blessings that had been added to our ‘blessing basket.’ The more we expressed gratitude, the more there was to be grateful for. We felt the love of the Lord in a significant way as opportunities for growth presented themselves.”
The family in Sister Parkin’s story grew closer together as they expressed gratitude.
Primary children, please think right now of someone in your family that loves you and serves you. The next time you talk to that person, please tell them “thank you.” You will be happier as you thank your family.
Parents of primary children, please encourage your children to regularly say thank you to their primary teachers, Cub Scout leaders, achievement day leaders, and all the other members who serves them in primary. Your children will have a better experience in primary if they appreciate their teachers and leaders.
All of us receive blessings for which we can thank our Father in Heaven. As we look for things each day to be thankful for, our lives will be happier. Each day when we pray, we can thank our Heavenly Father for sending Jesus Christ into the world and making it possible for us to live with him again. We can thank him for church, the world, and our families. Children have the wonderful ability to be grateful for the small things in life. We can learn from them when they thank their Heavenly Father for such things as a friend to play with on the playground, the night time story that was read to them, or the ice cream they had for dessert.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my Heavenly Father. I am grateful for the atonement and the opportunity it gives me to keep trying again. I am thankful for the knowledge that I am a child of God. I am thankful to know that all of us are children of our Heavenly Father. I am grateful for everyone who holds and magnifies a calling in primary. I am so grateful to Heavenly Father for loving me even during the times I find myself to be picky rather than thankful. May we all take the time to express our thanks to our families, our teachers and our Heavenly Father.
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