This is my prayer for you and your family this Thanksgiving:
I pray good tidings on your week of feasting and fellowship!
May your turkeys thaw properly, and may your congealed salads set correctly.
May traffic be light and your GPS apps effective.
I pray that you are blessed by the presence of family and friends this week. May disagreements be few, and may common ground be vast.
I pray that the temptations of Black Friday will not cut short the valuable commodity of your time with family and loved ones.
I ask God to protect you and yours from envy, strife, communicable diseases, cranky in-laws and the antics of sleep-deprived children.
May last minute runs to the store be unnecessary and may the dishwasher be fully operational.
I pray that God grants you Sabbath in the midst of chaos, and peace in the presence of rowdy grandchildren.
I pray that you are mindful of your loved ones and that you tell them of your affection in person, and by text, phone, social media, Skype and Facetime.
May you pace yourself as you eat so as to avoid bloating, reflux and other gastric unpleasantness.
May the weather be good so that your gatherings can spill out onto the porch, the meadow, the driveway and yard.
May God bless you with special skills to beat your brother-in-law in Gin Rummy. May you be able to prove your worth in touch football games, and with your three-point jump shot.
(With that in mind, may your muscles, back, tendons, wrists, ankles, knees and necks be guarded from injury. And your nose. And hips.)
May your conversations be deeper and more meaningful than the idle banter that you’ve become accustomed to at previous holiday gatherings.
I pray that God is able to give you patience, compassion, awareness and wisdom.
I pray that you will allow yourself a moment to remember those you miss most dearly, and that you will permit yourself to laugh and to cry as you recall holidays of old.
I pray for a meaningful Thanksgiving, and that you will be quick to say thank you, and reluctant to rush away from your family too quickly.
May your Thanksgiving be rich and your joy complete, for our God is the giver of all good gifts.
Amen.