A Prayer of Joy and Thanksgiving

This part of "Catalogue of Unabashed Gratitude" that I listened to in those early miles in the marathon below pretty much sums up the heart of the experience.... Thank You.....

Favorite Part of Catalogue of Unabashed Gratitude

God of mercy and strength, thank You for getting me through.
You know how many times I called out for help—
in the hills, in the cramps, in the moments when I wasn’t sure if my body would hold on.
You heard every plea,
every breath that became a prayer,
every step that needed more than I had.

Thank You for meeting me mile after mile,
for strangers whose cheers for “Joy” filled my cup,
for music that put a spring in my step, 
for surrounding me with the love of the people who carried me.
Thank You for the grace that rose up in me just when I needed it most,
and for the kindness of two runners who stopped to check on me close to the finish,
helped me steady myself,
and got me moving again.

You have been good to me—so good.

Good in the strength You gave,

good in the mercy You offered,

good in the joy that surprised me,

good in the cheers that surrounded me,

good in the love that held me upright when I could not hold myself.

And God, thank You for the ridiculous, overflowing joy of it all—

for somehow winning “Best Dressed” in Boston

with a blue wig and a heart full of gratitude,

for being featured in an NPR story I never could have dreamed up,

for the golden‑hour drive home with music pouring through the car

and the whole day sparkling with pixie dust,

for the laughter, the delight, the holy absurdity of it all.

Thank You for the joy of sending those letters,

for the gift of getting to tell people how they carried me,

for the way gratitude multiplied every time I named it.

And God, thank You for what this whole journey taught me—

That every mile is a thank you

That joy multiplies when named

That joy deserves a body

That joy is playful and sometimes wonderfully absurd

That joy is an inheritance,

passed through stories and faces and the people who loved me into being

That joy is a spiritual practice of attention—

of noticing the grace along the way.

That joy happens when you see someone deeply and they see you back. 

That joy is resilience, a way of rising again and again. 

Thank you for the chance to

practice joy,

embody joy,

breathe in joy, 

and run on joy.

Help me remember this joy of what You and I got to do together. 

Help me rest in the truth

that presence matters more than pace,

that gratitude is the real finish line,

and that joy is still here,

waiting to be chosen.

Receive my gratitude,

my awe,

my tired and overflowing heart.

Let this finish line become a place

where I remember

Your faithfulness,

Your nearness,

Your goodness

that met me step by step

and meets me still.

Thank You, God,

that Your joy

is my strength. 

 Amen.