To Welcome the New Year with Happy Hearts

In the gray night's end, O Lord, we watched thee like a careful sheep herder drive the Pleiades out of our farm's sky just in time to make room for the sun, wheeling into our east meadow to defrost the rye grass for the ewes.

Thank thee, Lord.

Help us indeed to welcome the new year with happy hearts, even as we welcomed that newborn calf.

Bless every bird and beast in the barn.

Bless every child which thou has so confidently housed here.

May we walk every furrow uprightly all the new year through; and what we do harvest, may we share it gladly, unafraid.

Thank thee for the old year, Lord, every thing, every day--from the whinny of the chestnut mare in the morning to the welcoming bark of old Shep at sundown.

And help us not to mind any longer the briars across the far end of yon pathway.

Are they not rose briars after all?

Look, Lord, these two horny hands that we thought were clasped, are cups now; this one to receive and this one to pass on thy measureless bounty every day.

Amen.

(from the lovely book, The Farmer Gives Thanks, given to me recently by my friend--and reader of this blog--GinnyMerritt; photo via everystockphoto.com)