A Prayer on Thanksgiving

Holy One, 

How do we begin to say thank you?

How do we stand before you in our humble garb of flesh and bone and thank you for all that we are—

Divinely-made, tenderly loved, and eternally-bound.

How do we say thank you for all that we have—

For that first holy breath and every one of them since, where you continue to breathe love, and hope, and grace into the marrow of our being.

How do we say thank you for the exquisite beauty of our souls—

That one part of us that the world cannot have—

Because it belongs to you.

The place where you dwell so we are never left alone.

The place that radiates your glory, and is charged with delivering your Message of Love into creation.

How do we say thank you for giving us our mothers and our fathers, our sons and daughters, friends and enemies, neighbors and strangers—

To practice love, to practice healing, to practice mercy, to practice grace on your behalf.

How do we say thank you for the obstacles placed in our path—the bruised knees and broken hearts—that prove how strong and resilient you created us to be.

How do we say thank you for every dawn that breaks through the dark night, ushering in joy in the morning.

 How do we say thank you for the second and the third and the fourth and the thousandth chance—you give us to try again, try and love better, try and be better versions of ourselves, try and live lives that are holy. 

How do we say thank you for your invitation to break bread at your table of thanksgiving—the Table where all are welcome, all are accounted for, and all are praised as holy and heaven bound. It is at this table of Thanksgiving where we come and seek nourishment deep in the belly of our souls—

And leave pointed in the direction of our salvation.

Ho do we say thank you, our dear Beloved?

We say thank you—

When we give You our hearts.

Amen.