Thanksgiving

Today is a day of Thanksgiving in my country of origin. I won’t be eating any turkey or pumpkin pie today, but I am spending some time in gratitude. This prayer by William Barclay (1907-1978) reminds me of particular people for whom I am especially thankful, and for things I don’t always think of in a spirit of gratitude.

O God, our Father, we thank you for this day.

We thank you for those who have given us guidance, counsel, advice and good example.

We thank you for those in whose company the sun shone even in the rain, and who brought a smile to our faces even when things were grim.

We thank you for those in whose company the frightening things were not so alarming, and the hard things not so difficult.

We thank you for those whose presence saved us from falling to temptation, and enabled us to do the right.

We thank you for those whom it is joy to be with, and in whose company the hours pass all too quickly.

We thank you for happy times to be to us for ever happy memories.

We thank you for times of failure to keep us humble, and to make us remember how much we need you.

Most of all we thank you for Jesus Christ, who in the daytime is our friend and our companion and who in the night is our pillow and our peace.

Hear this our evening thanksgiving for your love’s sake.