Over the years, I have passed along prayers written by Ted Loder, a Presbyterian pastor, and this month I want to pass along still another one. I think it’s worth reading through two or three times or, at least, until it leads you to praise God and give thanks… 

Praise Be to You for Life 

Praise be to you, O Lord, for life 
         and for my intense desire to live; 
Praise be to you for the mystery of love 
          and for my intense desire to be a lover; 
Praise be to you for this day 
            and another chance to live and love. 

Thank you, Lord, 
         for friends who stake their claim in my heart, 
         for enemies who disturb my soul 
                   and bump my ego, 
          for tuba players, 
                    and story tellers, 
                              and trapeze troupes. 
Thank you, Lord, 
          for singers of songs, 
          for teachers of songs, 
                  who help me sing along the way, 
              … and for listeners. 
Thank you, Lord, 
          for those who attempt beauty 
                   rather than curse ugliness, 
           for those who take stands 
                    rather than take polls, 
           for those who risk being right 
                    rather than pandering to be liked, 
           for those who do something 
                    rather than talking about everything. 

Lord, grant me grace, then, 
and a portion of your Spirit 
that I may so live 
         as to give others cause 
               to be thankful for me, 
thankful because I have not forgotten 
          how to hope, 
                  how to laugh, 
                         how to say, “I’m sorry,” 
          how to forgive, 
                 how to bind up wounds, 
                        how to dream, 
           how to cry, 
                  how to pray, 
            how to love when it is hard, 
                   and how to dare when it is dangerous. 
Undam me, Lord, 
that praise may flow more easily from me 
         than wants, 
thanks more readily 
          than complaints. 
Praise be to you, Lord, for life; 
praise be to you for another chance to live.               

                                                                                       God be with you,
                                                                                                                                 Jeff