Thankful Thursday
You know, this thinking up three particular things every week without repeating myself is becoming increasingly difficult. Thankfully, my prayer book has a list of thanksgiving prayers in it, and this General Thanksgiving is very helpful.

Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have
done for us. We thank you for the splendor of the whole
creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life,
and for the mystery of love.

We thank you for the blessing of family and friends, and for
the loving care which surrounds us on every side.

We thank you for setting us at tasks which demand our best
efforts, and for leading us to accomplishments which satisfy
and delight us.

We thank you also for those disappointments and failures
that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on you alone.

Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ; for the
truth of his Word and the example of his life; for his steadfast
obedience, by which he overcame temptation; for his dying,
through which he overcame death; and for his rising to life
again, in which we are raised to the life of your kingdom.

Grant us the gift of your Spirit, that we may know him and
make him known; and through him, at all times and in all
places, may give thanks to you in all things. Amen.

I especially like this line: "We thank you for setting us at tasks which demand our best efforts, and for leading us to accomplishments which satisfy and delight us." That is so true, only I need to be reminded that the difficult tasks in my day are something I need to be joyfully thankful for, not in the begrudging way that says, "God has given me this cross to bear... *sigh* ... and it's for my own good," followed by the deep sigh that is meant to cause the family to know what a martyr I am.

Lord, I thank you that you are conforming me to the image of your own dear son, who delighted to do your will.