thanks

I shuffle through a thousand thanks in my mind like leaves on the sidewalk, waiting to be stirred once again into a magical blaze of color. My heart overflows, my mind is a swirling whirlwind.

I look up and say, "I praise You God for…."

I look up again as the happiest thoughts rush past my mind’s eye, fleeting, floating, gone... and I say, "thank You…"

I look up and up and up as beauty, peace and love--all things good that are forever fused onto the facets of my psyche rush past like windows of a speeding train and I say, "thank You…"

I look up to heaven and I smile, just because God is God and I have air in my lungs and joy in my heart despite sickness, disillusionment, sorrow or pain, and I say, "thank You…"

I look up and, when I finally realize WHO I am giving thanks to, earth and time stand still and I fall to my knees laughing as the earth catches me in a heap of ocher, amber and crimson. I am reminded from where I came and to where I will go and I say..."thank You."

God is God and worthy of our praise...look up and give thanks today.

“Then let all the trees of the forest exult before the LORD, who comes, who comes to rule the earth. Give thanks to the LORD, who is good, whose love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16: 33-34

Dear Lord,

I thank You today for all things in my life, those things that I see as good and even those things that I believe You will make into good because I trust You. Please give me the grace to trust and love You more. Thank You for family and friends, food on my table, and love in my life, for happy memories and a joyful present. I pray for those who have none of these things today. I have so much! I praise You God especially for_________________. I am so thankful! Come, fill me with more and more of Yourself, for You are the fountain and source of all of this goodness. I praise and thank You God! For only You are worthy of all of my thanks and praise!

I ask this in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.