Gratitude comes hard to us, God.
Boasting and blaming are easier,
yet we trust you know
those are symptoms of the insecurities,
terrors, and ambitions that drive us
to anxious distractions and duplicities.

But now, in your presence,
in this place, with this beloved company,
we are softened into clarity and praise,
into awareness of our too-pinched lives
and your expansive grace.

Ted Loder, My Heart in My Mouth