Human Senses at Christmastime

Dear Heavenly Father,
I come to you today in thanksgiving for the senses you have given me.  May I always find you in the world through my senses.  My eyes will delight in your creation - the majestic views of mountains, oceans, meadows and night skies; the tiny detail of a spider web, the brilliance of a marigold, the sparkle of the morning dew on the grass,  the symmetry of the Noble fir tree, your Strength reflected in the Coastal Redwoods and the Giant Sequoia. 

My ears will hear Your whispers in my heart in the constancy of the ocean waves, the awesomeness of the lightning in a storm, the tender rustling of the leaves, the insistent chirp of the meadowlark, the powerful smack of a woodpecker's efforts, the whir of the insects wings, the song of the cricket seeking a soul mate. 

I pray that I will think of You and all the blessings you give me in the decadent aroma of Christmas cookies, the hunger that arises in me when I smell the thanksgiving turkey coming out of the oven.  I will remember the fragrance of the rose, help me to remember it has come from you to me.  The smell of rain in the air, bringing the expectation of precipitation, reminding me of the anticipation I feel for you in the Eucharist. 

Thank you for the sensitivity you have blessed my fingers with - as I feel the textures all around me in my daily life, the feeling of warm sun and the cool breeze - such enormous gifts from you that we could not live without..and we take for granted every single day.   

The intriguing sense of taste, the gift of our tongues, where we can enjoy the pleasures of the food and drink you provide for our earthly bodies... how easily you could have provided only bugs to eat or muddy water to drink! 

It is with exactly these senses that we are slowly coming to be more aware of, that bring us such depth of joy and grattitude - and also remind us of our deepest pain.  We become acutely aware that our senses that we are enjoying everyday are exactly what our sweet children cannot experience anymore. 

Help us to see, to be aware, that their earthly time is finished, that their senses can no longer share this world.  Heavenly Father, we trust that they are in your care, that they are experiencing far more than they ever could here on earth, Your holy Presence.  We don't understand what this could be like, but we place our faith and hope in You and in your promises.  Be with us Lord, as we continue to try to navigate this earthly life with your guidance.  We pray that our lives are pleasing to you, that we are using the gifts and opportunities you have provided for us for your honor and glory.  When we stray from the path that pleases you, help us to understand where you would prefer us to go.

We lift up our earthly struggles to you; our pain, our agony, our broken hearts.  We place them in your loving arms.  We ask your forgiveness, we beg for your mercy and we pray for your guidance in our lives always.

Amen.