The Everydayness of Things

 

Praise the LORD, 

         O my soul!

I will praise the LORD

   as long as I live.

I will sing praises to my God

   while I have my being.

           Psalm 146. 1-2

Not just being grateful,

   but grateful to God.

This is not only a great way

  to end this year

  or begin the next,

but in our everydayness .

It is not for us to wait 

  for every opportunity

  that happens to come along

       and we feel like it,

but seizing every moment

           to praise Him.

Honoring God

    and verbalizing our praise

 changes us

             to our very core.

Even in what we have

  a hard time thanking for,

we can still be grateful in.

God empowers us to see

  our circumstances differently,

and how we grasp His sovereignty

 over the big stuff, the tiny details,

the difficulties, the joys,

the journey, the rabbit trails,

the rest stops He provides,

the outcomes, the end game,

and even in what we think

         are coincidences.

Praising God recognizes out loud

     His steadfast love.

O LORD,

May our first words in the morning,

our last breaths at night,

even in the ending of another year,

    be full of praise to You.

You did not just bring us through

     the night or the day or the year,

but You walk with us,

  through blue skies and storms,

the rocky trails

    and amazing vistas.

Guide us as we praise You.

Soften our hearts 

change our minds,

order our loves,

  and align our ways to Yours.