And for all of you, I pray for and trust in God’s presence. God continues to give us many good gifts, even as we confront difficulties in this both/and life, in a world in which sin and brokenness do exist.. Life is difficult, and we have a church community. Sometimes pain continues despite our doctor’s attempts to help us, and you have friends who love you. Sometimes recovery takes forever, and these mashed potatoes are something you look forward to every year. And for those of you for whom the day is going to be simply wonderful, I wish you the capacity to notice and taste and treasure the details.

May God bless each and all of us as we notice our blessings and give thanks.

I’ll see you in church.

Becky

Prayer

Ever-present God,

We give you thanks in this season.

We notice our blessings amidst the difficulties.

The butter we allow ourselves to indulge in,

The pie—not only for dessert,

but for breakfast the next day,

A day off from work.

Your love surrounds us and feeds us,

And we are grateful.

Amplify our ability to notice you working in our lives,

And help us to remember to treasure your gifts.

Amen.