Dear Lord

Dear Lord, thank You for this day
For the blessed sleep last night
That boosts my strength and energy
Making morning a pleasurable awakening
Extending from dawn to early light—and beyond.

I praise You for extending my good health
Helping me nourish it these many years
For the sunshine now and again in my life
For the love of family and friends
And Your generosity that keeps away my tears.

You have taught me to measure time
Not by the clock, days, weeks, months, or years,
But by the abundant joy You deliver to me
In the simple activities of my life,
And the daily challenges You dare me to tackle.

You have made me see and understand
There is a huge life-support reservoir inside me
That fills and empties continually,
Forcing me to employ my will and energies
Through diligently striving to refill it again and again.

Your love has given me daily strength
Derived from positive mental thought
Keeping me seeking for betterment of life
Through setting goals—no matter how simple—
 That immerse me in continued exuberance of life.

I must equate myself as a fruit-giving tree
That I must water, feed, and tend with care
Keeping it healthy, strong, and proud
So that I might live out the full years of my life
With grace, dignity, pride, fulfillment and forbearing.

For this majestic temple called my body
That You created just for me, I thank You, God,
 

And I thank You for the universal spirit
That keeps me strong, well, and alive.

Thank You, God.

© 2008 Jeanette Cooper