As I am taking my spirituality group of mothers to Villa Maria del Mar for a mini retreat today, I think I will give them this page before we do our sharing after lunch. I am convinced that when we are thankful, we are joyful. This is from a retreat prayer service that someone gave me.
O God, source of this whole shebang,
we thank you that in your bewildering wisdom,
and for your oft puzzling purposes,
You launched us on this wondrous exodus of life
toward the promised time of freedom and fulfillment,
and that in your staggering compassion
You girded up to be our traveling companion
until we find our way to each other and You.
Response: We say thank you, thank you, thank you.
We are thankful to you
for gifts of taken-for-granted commonness:
the song of a bird, the strum of wind, a hundred shades of green,
a parent's praying patience, a friend's voice, a changed way.
Work worth doing, children's questions, a new thought;
Our bodies, enough food, wine slowly shared, a quiet walk,
the touch of hands, catch of eyes, hark of dreams,
the wash of rain, snuggle of darkness, stardust on the roof,
the goad to repentance, the nudge to gratitude
in the utterly everywhere of small miracles.
Response: We say thank you, thank you, thank you.
Most of all we are thankful beyond understanding it -
that even in adversity, pain, and suffering,
even the face of defeat and death, as in all else,
Your Spirit labors for our healing, resilience and deliverance,
leaving on us your eternal fingerprints of grace and glory.
Response: We say thank you, thank you, thank you.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment