Coffee in the Morning by George Mendoza
Good morning, good God!
Yesterday afternoon I sat in church
listening to my parish choirs singing with the choirs
of neighboring West Concord Union
and I was delighted by the gifts of so many:
singers young and old, conductors,
accompanists, flutists, drummers and hand bell ringers,
all making joyful sounds in praise of you, Lord!
Others had done all the work -
I had only to sit back
and enjoy this pure gift...
And I found myself peacefully grateful
for this and all the gifts come first from your hand, Lord,
and then through others' hands and hearts and voices
to me and to so many...
I offer you my gratitude, Lord,
for all the gifts you place upon my path,
ahead of me, behind me and around me...
I thank you, Lord, for all the ways you touch my life
through the lives of others:
sometimes through their music,
sometimes through their smiles or words,
sometimes through their tears or silence,
often through their simplest deeds
or just their the presence as their paths cross mine
and your gentle hand brings us together...
I offer you my thanks, Lord,
for the gifts I so often and so easily miss
when I'm focused on myself, on my own needs,
my own disappointments...
How many times have you reached out to me
and I've missed you, Lord,
because I would not lift the droop of my chin
I would not open my eyes to see beyond my sadness...
Your gifts are so many, Lord...
Some come like a spring shower
raining down on everyone in sight,
and now and again comes one,
marked with my name and signed with yours,
something others might not even see
but that I recognize as a token of your love,
a sign of your presence, a reason to believe...
For all your gifts I offer you my thanks
this Monday morning, Lord...
Lift my chin and open my eyes, Lord,
that I will notice the gifts you send this day
and help me find at least the ones
my heart needs most...
And help me know the times, the moments,
when through my life, my words, my deeds,
you reach through me to touch another:
let me be a channel of your gifts, Lord,
of your presence and your peace...
Receive my grateful offering this morning, Lord,
and all this day and night
and through the week ahead...
Amen.
Dear Austin,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this beautiful prayer of gratitude. I so needed it that I have printed it out to say daily. Sometimes it is so hard to see the gift when it comes in God's way and not my own. That is when your words of seeing beyond myself remind me that a loving Father gives to me what I need rather than what I think I want. :) Thank you for such a heartfelt prayer.
Kathy
often I do not recognize gifts until it is "too late"-
ReplyDeletebut I think now, that it is not too late- as long as I recognize it, even if it is after the fact, it's still a gift and I can be grateful for it.
I think it would make things easier if I could recognize it in the moment, as it's happening, but that's not always possible-
or, that's not where I am right now.
and besides, I don't think God meant for any of this to be easy-
anything good and worthwhile anyway.
thank you.