Prayer of Thanksgiving for Abigail

Prayer of Thanksgiving for Abigail

Rev. Peter T. Atkinson

 Almighty, merciful, loving and compassionate God,

Who makes the heavens and the earth,

All that we see through Your word and with Your love,

Providing for us each step of the way,

Faltering, we stand in your steadfast hand,

Giving you our utmost and undying thanks,

For in your creation, as part of your love,

You sent us Your son Jesus Christ:

Reconnecting us, restoring us, redeeming us,

Teaching us that You are the true power in this world

And that Love is the stuff of this world you make,

And that Love is even stronger than death.

We thank you for making all the days in which we live,

Even this one, this day, this moment,

Where we celebrate the life of Your Child Abigail,

We thank you for her eyes that lit up her face,

And we thank you for her smile that lit up all of ours,

We thank you for her spirit, and her energy,

For her laughs, for her beauty, for your grace,

In sharing her with us for each blessed day we had.

On this day, and on all the days to come,

For somehow you make the sun to rise again and again,

That your light always shines in the darkest places,

Inspiring us to face a world without our friend,

Help us to know she is now with you,

And so not really parted from us, for Your presence

Is in all places and all times,  and every single heart,

Even and especially the broken ones,

So with you there mending the broken pieces

Nursing the hurting pieces, loving the lonely pieces,

Sheltering the fearful pieces,  and filling the empty pieces

Is she, the little girl and the woman who deeply touched our lives.

And so on this day we celebrate, we praise you O God,

We celebrate friendship, we celebrate family,

We celebrate this Your Church, encircling us all

These last few days, bringing us back from where Your winds have blown us

Deciding once again to care more instead of less,

We celebrate memories, we celebrate life

We celebrate love, we celebrate Your child Abigail,

Knowing that her smile is lighting up one of the many rooms in your house

As it has the many rooms of our hearts.

In the greatest gratitude shown by our grief,

We humbly pray, in the name of our savior Jesus Christ,

Amen.