Thanksgiving 2018 Prayer Thread

[Tobin S.]

Thank you Lord...

...for my beautiful and loving wife;
...for all of the people in my life who love me- all of my friends and family;
...for a beautiful and loving cat;
...for a nice home;
...for a nice car;
...for a good job;
...for good health;
...for enough to eat;
...for enough clothes;
...for enough money.

I say that prayer before every time I meditate, and I try to meditate at least once a day. I don't always get a session in, but I'm getting better about it. I find that expressing gratitude is a good way to help open the heart, and it makes areas of my life that I don't feel as good about seem more manageable and tolerable. It also makes it more possible to do something about those things. But as you can see, I've got a lot going for me and I am truly blessed in several regards.

And now thank you God for all of the good people here at DU. I've been here for over 15 years and this place has been a great place for friendship, entertainment, and comradery. I have met several of you in real life over the years, and I know the kindness that is expressed here is for real. God bless you and Happy Thanksgiving.

If you'd like, please share your Thanksgiving prayers below.

[rainy]

1. Maya Angelou

Here is a beautiful blessing by the great Maya Angelou:
Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence

during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence

during the bright and sunny days,

for then we can share that which we have

with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence

during the Holy Days, for then we are able

to celebrate you and our families

and our friends.

For those who have no voice,

we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy,

we ask you to pour your love out

in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain,

we ask you to bathe them

in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask

you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed,

we ask you to shower upon them

the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless

sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the

world that which we need most — Peace.

~ Maya Angelou

[Tobin S.]

3. Beautiful! Thank you.

[rainy]

2. St. Francis prayer

I don’t follow any religion but this is a beautiful prayer:

The Peace Prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, the truth;
Where there is doubt, the faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

[Tobin S.]

4. Amen. Another good one.