Praying during exercise is a spiritual practice I picked up many Lenten seasons ago. On a recent vacation, as I walked the mostly deserted country road and walking trail, I found that my prayers were limited to just a few words. Two, in fact: Thank you. Thank you, God, for this time with family. Thank you, God, for this sense of peace. Thank you, God, for much-needed rest before I return to run the race of faith and ministry. Thank you.
When I returned home, I noticed that the “please” parts of prayer crept back in. As well they should. Asking God for help is an appropriate and necessary part of the life of faith. Still, I wonder if those days of pure gratitude weren’t a “foretaste of the feast to come.” When “thy kingdom come” is a reality, our hearts will be at peace, and the only words we will need to utter will be “Thank you, O Lord, just, thank you.”
This message is excerpted from “God heard a lot of ‘thank yous’ from Wisconsin pastor on summer trip” by Jennifer Christenson from the July 26, 2021, blog of the Women of the ELCA.
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