Thankful Hearts

Dear God,

I want to thank you.  For everything!  The air I breathe is lush with the fragrance of wet pines, pines grabbing moisture for thirsty needles, pines praising your rain because it brings extinguished wildfires, respite for displaced animals and exhausted firefighters.

My praise reveals how large your gifts are, how they touch so many others and profit all of your needy earth.

I thank you for food!  Some we grew but that means we must also give thanks for the land and rich soil. While groceries are expensive we know you are gracious to us.  We do not dodge bullets or bombs as we garden.  We don’t have to fear land Mines as we plow.  We have so much to share with a hurting world.

I thank you for family, for love, for friends who would drop everything if I needed them. For pets, for sunrises and sunsets.  I thank you God for the  wonder of the night sky, for the brilliant tail of a falling star, and for constellations that held the same shapes and designs the night Jesus was born in Bethlehem.   I thank you the angels that filled the sky that night are still a powerful force in Heaven.  They still celebrate your Son’s birth, ministry and sacrifice all these centuries later.

God, I thank you for the turmoil in our culture today.  Things rarely change in people’s hearts if they have no turmoil.  So we praise you for a world so tumultuous your doubters and detractors are falling to their knees.  Dear God, how beautiful your plans.  We read of the pains people endured throughout Bible times.  And we celebrate the fact You consider us worthy to march on Your behalf as our world speeds toward Your return.

We thank you, God, for emotions, for the ability to love, to forgive, to change, to improve, to strive and to conquer the traps the enemy sets on our path.  We thank You for trials and setbacks.  They cause us to take a hard look at our habits and choices.  They cause us to slow down and feel Your presence all around us. We thank You for the Holy Spirit who quickens our conscience, reminds us whose child we are, and who never leaves or disappoints us.  We thank You for Your great and gracious love. All these wonderful things are ours throughout our lives.  But at Thanksgiving we pause to remember just how great You are!