Reflections on Psalm 106, Reading for the Daily Office.

Psalm 106 (ESV, but at times paraphrased from my journal):

1 Praise the Lord!
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord?

6 Both we and our fathers have sinned...

7 We did not consider...
We did not remember...
the abundance of His steadfast love...

8 Yet He saved us.

45 For their sake He remembered His covenant,
and relented according to the
abundance of his steadfast love.

47 Save us, O Lord our God,
that we may give thanks to your Holy Name.

And so I attempt, as the Psalmist, to consider, to remember the abundance...

• For the 4 people asleep upstairs right now; snug in their beds, resting in the peace of your protection.

• For the 12 students who gathered around our table yesterday for Christian fellowship, prayer and to know You more through the work of your Church.

• For 1 large ham, gift of parents, that we shared with these new friends. It brought much happiness: full bellies and hints of home. God's provision comes through others and it brings delight.

• For 5 little pumpkins (as the song goes) which bring beauty to doorstep and root us in time and place. 5 little signs that it is now we delight in cool weather (but not too cold!) hearty meals, wool sweaters, pumpkin pie.

• My own big green chair crammed into corner of dining room so that I may have "my own space" to read, write, pray. Here I learn more of who He is and in that light, who I am too. Chair, purchased on the cheap from our church's furniture thrift shop, blessing to me and to others--100% of profit goes to missions.

• For 1 new day about to begin. Though it is still dark, the birds have begun their song. Perhaps they are praising His name too and passing onto each other the sermon of St. Francis, yesterday his feast day. St. Francis loved all of God's creation, seeing His handiwork as proof of His love and spoke thus to the little birds:
  

"My little sisters the birds, ye owe much to God, your Creator, and ye ought to sing his praise at all times and in all places, because he has given you liberty to fly about into all places; and though ye neither spin nor sew, he has given you a twofold and a threefold clothing for yourselves and for your offspring. Two of all your species he sent into the Ark with Noah that you might not be lost to the world; besides which, he feeds you, though ye neither sow nor reap. He has given you fountains and rivers to quench your thirst, mountains and valleys in which to take refuge, and trees in which to build your nests; so that your Creator loves you much, having thus favoured you with such bounties. Beware, my little sisters, of the sin of ingratitude, and study always to give praise to God." qtd. at Catholic Culture

May we too my little sisters (and brothers) see God's abundance and provision in the midst of our daily lives and give praise to God.

Thank you also, Albany Intercessor, your faithfulness to Morning Prayer and the lectionary has been a great encouragement to me.
Thank you Barb at My Daily Round, your faithfulness to your gratitude journal has also encouraged.
And, of course, Ann whose1000 Gifts Multitude Mondays, have encouraged so many.