It’s seventeen years old, a Sunday school project in a unit with the focus Giving Thanks. It’s got grease stains from food splatter and the yellow of the construction paper has faded.

I’ve spoken or listened to these words a hundred times, my hands joined with the others around the table. And for a brief moment, in that pause before serving plates are passed and dinner plates filled, I’m offered a glimpse of something beyond this particular meal. Beyond and connected in grateful thanks. Table grace connects the food on the table to the space that shelters and offers rest. Thanks for home connects to the created world outside the window, water and sun and wind that foster plant and animal life. At last come the thanks for those we love. Not just the ones seated at the table, but those who are not. The prayer moves me outward even as I feel a deep inner gratitude.

And the pronoun isn’t a singular I, but a plural We. Perhaps a reminder that a grateful life isn’t a solo endeavor so much as it’s a group adventure.

It’s that time between ghosties and elves – November. By the time you read this, you’ve already seen Christmas displays in store aisles; Christmas songs play while you put carrots in your basket; ads remind you that you deserve a new car with a big red bow on it – or that someone you love does. You wonder, what happened to enjoying a meal with family and friends? Has giving thanks for the breath in our bodies and the love in our lives been buried in tinsel?

I love tinsel, tree decorating, and cocoa. I enjoy holiday classics – Charlie Brown, Grinch, and Kevin MacCallister. But I want my November to be more than pre-December: I want my month of thanks back. How about you?

So it’s time to give thanks, to say grace and take a breath. I hope you join hands and pray with me…

This table blessing was made by my son in 2009. It’s survived countless meals and spills…