Thank you for the caregivers in our lives.
For those who make us feel noticed, seen, and loved.
For the spouse who made our breakfast.
For the friend who follows up with a text.
For the neighbor who brings in a package.
For the barista who remembers our name.
For the stranger who extends an act of care.

Thanks be to God,
the Father Almighty, 
the Creator of heaven and earth, 
who delighted in making
the families of plants
who call our homes 
their home.

Glory be to God for Dirt—

For backyard soil
as dark and dense
as the midnight sky.
And for all the creatures
who make this ground
their earthy home—
the wiggly ones
and leggy ones
and the tiny ones
our eyes can’t see.

“In Your tender compassion, the morning sun has risen upon us…”— Benedictus

Our Father in Heaven,

May sunrise light
The brilliant beams of Creation’s color:
Pale peach, dusty orange, candy pink, and ruby red
Announce with holy hues
The arrival of this new day.

Father in Heaven,
May the growth of my neighbor’s weeds
Be an unexpected invitation
To my continued growth and formation.

Our gardens may not be a significant source of our produce,
they may be only a potted plant or bed of flowers,
but would every garden in our neighborhood be a living reminder of grace and growth.