For the beauty of the earth -
I am thankful today for the beauty of the leaves on the trees in our backyard, providing shade from warming light of the sun and privacy from the gaze of our neighbors.
I am thankful for the bounty of fruit and vegetables, eggs and nuts, milk and meat, bread and blue chips that I rediscover every week at the supermarket.
I am thankful for the farmers who plant the seeds, the migrant workers who harvest the crops, the packers, the truck drivers, and those who stock it all in the stores. (Sometimes I wonder if I talk about food and the supermarket too often in these thankful Thursday posts, but then I remember that I eat many times each day, so being publicly thankful for the wonder of food once or twice a month is dwarfed ten thousand fold by the abundance this earth pours into my life on a daily basis.)
I am thankful for the sounds of the birds and squirrels and dogs and owls, for the giggles of children and the laughter of adults.
I am thankful for the buzz of wasps (as long as they don't land on me) and the fearless gaze of deer (as long as they are not advancing in my direction).
I am thankful for the variety, the exquisiteness of each person I see - in the supermarket, at church, on the street, in their cars, on television, online, in magazines, in books, and in my memories as well.
For the glory of the skies -
I am thankful for rainclouds that bring the sweetest, most necessary liquid blessing - rain.
I am thankful for the rainbows that appear after the rain has ceased.
I am thankful for the brightness and warmth of the sun.
I am thankful for the deep Carolina blue sky that the sun illuminates every day.
I am thankful for the sliver of moon that blossoms into the full circle of glorious light.
I am thankful for the stars that I don't often see because of the bright lights of this big city.
For the love which from our birth over and around us lies -
I am thankful for the love of my mother - who calls me and cooks for me and always welcomes me into her home, her heart, and her life.
I am thankful for the love of my brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles, the in-laws, and the outlaws.
I am thankful for the two children I have been blessed with and the love they lavish on each other, on my husband, on me, on their friends, and on those that matter to them.
I am thankful for being invited to the weddings, the funerals, the celebrations, the laments, the pool parties, the bridal showers, the baptisms, and also the quiet thrill of wine and conversation shared in the homes of friends and neighbors.
I am thankful for coffee dates, lunch dates, dinner dates, drive-by hugs, and sleepovers.
I am thankful for Facebook, WhatsApp, Facetime, and texts because they all keep me connected with friends and family who live far away.
I am thankful for the courageous, thoughtful, determined, and passionate women, men, and children whose love for the earth and its inhabitants move them to defend, to demand honor and respect for, to stand behind, to sit with, to kneel beside, to speak up for, to protest injustice against, and to work on behalf of those - both human and otherwise - who cannot do those things by themselves or for themselves.
Lord of all, to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.
Lord of all, to you I offer thanksgiving for these and all the gifts of life.
I thank you for life itself, for breath, for strength, for courage, and for love.
I thank you for the chance to share these gifts with others.
I thank you, Lord of All, that even when loved ones leave,
when cherished relationships shatter,
when drought devastates the land,
when excess rain does the same,
when the pantry is empty,
the bank account too,
even then, we can, I can find reason to give thanks.
For the earth. For beauty. For love.
For who You are, Lord, and not only for what you provide.
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