One of the things I love about attending an Episcopal/Anglican church is the liturgy from The Book of Common Prayer. During the Thanksgiving season, we use prayers specifically listing the many things for which to be thankful, from life and leisure to firemen and police. The leader may say, "For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice," and the congregation will respond by saying, "We thank you, Lord" or simply, "We give thanks".

 

This post is a prayer of thanksgiving for my husband K and daughter Z, and the very special daddy-daughter relationship they have. This week, K and Z have come to some kind of arrangement where K would take Z's stuffed polar bear ("Ice Bear") to work with him and take pictures of the bear's adventures. I'm not sure how this set-up came to be, but it's been on, and this afternoon K sent a few pictures via text for me to share with Z:

 

 

And now I'll pray:

For a husband who works very hard to provide for his family,

I give thanks.

 

For a husband and daughter who have a genuine bond for each other,

I give thanks.

 

For a daughter who's imaginative, and communicative and yes, at times, bold,

I give thanks.

 

For a daughter who takes pictures and composes texts and sends them to her daddy at only five,

I give thanks.

 

For a daughter who has a love of reading and writing so strong that she's begun a blog,

I give thanks.

 

For a husband who purchased a public domain site for her to continue to do so,

I give thanks.

 

For a husband who hand no compunction about snapping pictures of himself and a tiny stuffed white bear on a NJ Transit train during rush hour for our daughter,

I exceedingly give thanks.

 

Above all, I give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to me in Christ Jesus my Lord; To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

 

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

 

- James 1:17