For the fruits of his creation,
Thanks be to God;
For the gifts to every nation,
Thanks be to God;
For the ploughing, sowing, reaping,
Silent growth while men are sleeping,
Future needs in earth’s safekeeping,
Thanks be to God. 

In the just rewards of labor,
God’s will is done;
In the help we give our neighbor,
God’s will is done;
In our world-wide task of caring,
For the hungry and despairing,
In the harvests men are sharing,
God’s will is done.

 For the harvests of his spirit,
Thanks be to God;
For the good all men inherit,
Thanks be to God;
For the wonders that astound us,
For the truths that still confound us,
Most of all, that love has found us,
Thanks be to God.

~Text by F. Pratt Green

These are the words to a hymn that opened up my Evening Prayer last night. As I read this words, I was deeply moved by its simplicity, yet poignant message.

With all that is going on in our world right now, it is so easy to simply forget to give praise to our Father in heaven. Between all of the hate and violence that surround us, the lack of love and support for our neighbor, and for the inability to respect the sanctity and beauty of human life, we need to pray this prayer more than ever. And not only that, but to simply know and believe that we are loved by our God.

My words today are short and sweet. I pray that all of us are able to find true peace in our loving Father. May we have the strength to praise our God no matter what we are experiencing in our days. May we be able to find the ability to take time in our busy schedules to pray, to find it in our hearts the ability to give honor and glory to our Creator and Savior. Let us find in our hearts the beauty that lies within, and the peace that can only be found in our Lord, Jesus Christ.

May the spirit of the living God be with you always. And always remember that you are loved. Amen.