Blessed (and Grateful) Be

©2013 Susan Noyes Anderson

image by Ben White on Unsplash

Sometimes my heart is washed in tears,
or overcome by foolish fears,
but most days find me safe from harm
with all I need to keep me warm.

Though every life has best and worst,
I should be grateful last and first
for gifts I’m given, large and small,
that show me God is over all.

Tall trees rise up, embracing sky,
in colors pleasing to the eye.
My spirits soar as shades of blue
emerge through leaves of changing hue.

Each budding branch of early spring
erupts in anthems sparrows sing.
My fingers brush the velvet skin
of blossoms, and new life begins.

My feet are grounded in the earth,
and they have carried me since birth
to places near and places far,
traveling under sun and star.

My fate belongs to me alone,
compelled by neither king nor throne.
I choose the pathway I will trod,
a freedom granted me by God.

Words are my joy, their power profound:
unspoken, parsed, released to sound
or written on an empty page,
the hearts of others to engage.

A family gathers ‘round me near:
loyal husband, children dear,
mother kind and father rare,
brothers and sisters beyond compare.

These golden treasures feed my soul,
comfort me, and make me whole.
The morning dawns and yields to night.
Sunrise. Sundown. All is right.

I offer gratitude each day,
my thanks a gentle price to pay
for blessings large and blessings small
that God extends to one and all.

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Loving the Land How Excellent Is Thy Name Grateful, We Gather The Gifts of Creation