Thanksgiving prayer

Gracious God,

I know it’s Thanksgiving time; yet I’m finding it difficult to pray in thanksgiving for your many gifts to me.

Loving God, please understand.

I am thankful for family and friends and sad that, for safety’s sake, we cannot be together to celebrate.

I am thankful for all those who work so tirelessly to protect us from the COVID-19 virus and distressed that the virus continues to afflict so many of Earth’s people.

I am thankful that simple actions protect us so effectively from the virus and I get crabby about frequent temperature checks, daily sanitizing, wearing my mask – worst – not being able to hug anyone.

I am thankful for the freedom of our nation and worried about the deep divisions between and among us.

I am thankful for the kindness we’ve shown one another during this worrisome time and I’m impatient for an effective vaccine to become available, for this troubling time of suffering and death to be over.

Gracious God,

Thank you for loving me when I am sad, distressed, worried, crabby and impatient just as you love me when I am thankful.

Gracious God, I thank you with all my heart.

Amen.