Thank you, God

Thank you, my God, that because of the many ways that You have blessed each and every one of us, whatever troubles we endure or needs we have, every day can be thanksgiving;

Thank you, my God, for without You and Your goodness we could not observe even one official Thanksgiving Day;

Thank you, my God, that You were there long before I was conceived in my 15-old young mother;

Thank you that You were there when the news of my conception was met, not with joy, but with heartbreak and anger;

Thank you for Your goodness and Your wisdom in planning me, though I was unplanned; thank you that You love and bless every person regardless of the circumstances of our conception;

Thank you for being You, good, holy and loving;

Thank you for being there during my childhood years when my cluster of neurobiological problems caused others in my life to often react to me with frustration, confusion, and even anger; thank You that You are not limited by our pasts to bless us so we can bless others;

Thank You that You were there when my devoted, well-meaning but overwhelmed and uneducated young mother was not given the resources and support she needed to understand me and teach me as I needed;

Thank You for You for the current scientific discoveries and for the minds You have given to those who have made them, so now I'm able to make sense of the senseless;

Thank You for being You, good, holy and loving;

Thank You that You were there when  I was led to believe that attending worship services was more a matter of looking good and avoiding any appearance of difference, rather than attending and participating out of a deep sense of need for You and love for You;

Thank You that You were there when much ignorance flourished when it came to addressing the special needs of the many children in my generation; thank You for all the discoveries, awareness and advocacy of those who have done so much to undo this ignorance;;

Thank You  that because of this, the children of this generation, and future generations, will benefit from what we have been learning;

Thank you for being You, good, holy and loving;

Thank You that You were there when my differences in thinking, behavior and learning causes the bullies in my school and neighborhood to do their thing with me, repeatedly;

Thank You that You were there when my bullying experiences were met with adult ignorance, insensitivity and indifference; thank you for my parents who did try, all to no avail, to get help;

Thank You that You possess the grace and the power to redeem any experience, at any time in our lives, so that we can serve You and bless others;

Thank You for being You, good, holy and loving;

Thank You that You were there when I tried to connect with You and to understand Your ways but did not have any understanding of Your grace;

Thank You for Your tireless efforts to reach me through the devout adults You placed in my life, especially my wonderful, loving, late grandmother;

Thank You that long before I ever sought You, You were seeking me; thank You that long before any of us ever reach out to You, it is only because You have been seeking us first;

Thank You for being You, good, holy and loving;

Thank You that You were there when I was internalizing my life experiences and believing that I was basically bad, lacking, and without options or hope;

Thank You that You were there when my emotional baggage kept me from understanding Your grace, Your wisdom and Your ways and from reaching out to others;

Thank You for Your peerless grace to me and to each one of us;

Thank you for being You, good, holy and loving;

Thank You that You were there, even when I reached the breaking point in coping and I reacted defensively;

Thank You for Your grace and Your forgiveness even when inappropriate drug therapy and my other addictions caused me to act out in ways which to this day make me cringe;

Thank You for graciously putting in my life a few people who modeled Your grace and Your love;

Thank You for being You, good, holy and loving;

Thank You that You were there through my early adult years as I entered the world of typical people, most unprepared to relate to them and to understand a world I did not feel a part of;

Thank You that You were there as I was trying to "pass as normal," and to find my place in a world where for those of us who were differently-wired there was no place;

Thank You that You have a place and a plan for each and every one of us no matter who we are or where we have been;

Thank You for being You, good, holy and loving;

Thank You for meeting me as as I came to realize Your grace to me in that in Your Son Jesus You have made me right with you, as is Your way with all of us who come to believe in and love You;

Thank You that because of what You did in Christ through giving Your life on a cross and returning back to life, You can treat me as though I had lived Your life and You, mine;

Thank You offer Your grace and Your salvation to every person;

Thank You for being You, good, holy and loving;

Thank You that You are with me today today even as stress, interpersonal conflict and perceived or real hurts cause me to easily withdraw;

Thank You for Your grace to me even when past experience causes me to distrust people, even Your people, this very day;

Thank You for what You are making of me and will make of me;

Thank You for being You, good, holy and loving.