Today, Lord,  I want to thank you for the gift of life, and for teaching
me how to see through your eyes rather than my own. I want to thank 
you for enabling me to see myself as I truly am, weaknesses and all.

Since losing my Johnny, Lord, life, for a time became the opposite of what
I'd always believed it to be; appeared to be a dark, cold, lonely place,
a friendless place.

It took me awhile to recognize all the lies grief causes us to grasp hold of, to recognize that in truth nothing had changed, at least 
nothing that mattered, which is that you are always wherever I am, always loving me, always near to uplift and comfort me, to strengthen and 
guide me.

Teach me, I pray, how to be thankful for my trials, to truly be thankful, 
for it is in thanksgiving that we are brought closer to you. Thanksgiving
helps us recognize what we too often miss- the fact that everything that happens in our life, even the trials...are gifts from you. A trial comes, and
our first instinct is to become afraid. We take hold of that fear, and when we do, every following moment is wretched- miserable. Thank you for helping 
me understand this.

I knew the definition of thanksgiving only, Lord, and that wasn't enough.
Thank you for opening my eyes- and my heart to all that is beautiful, for
helping me see the SON in the dark of night, in the depths of my misery,
for teaching me how to discover the hidden blessings, to appreciate the
sweetness- the richness in the simple things.

Thank you for that promised peace of Christ, and the joy that is slowly
finding its way back into my life.