Gifts

prayer of dedication

dear god,

you pray.

dear god,

we offer you these gifts

of our thighs

and offerings…

our thighs

and offerings.

our thighs

and offerings.

you are so young

and today express so little care

but some day you will learn

that that day, you misspoke.

i want you to know that

you didn’t.

you are a prophet

with a gift

and that which you

presented me today

was more than a giggle

at your expense.

dear god,

you pray.

and you help me

to pray too.

children’s sabbath

november 11, 2007

central presbyterian church

atlanta, ga

I found this prayer through a link on another friends blog.  The blogger who posted this prayer is a minister named Kate and her blog is entitled, "Thighs and Offerings."   

"We offer these gifts of our thighs and offerings"

I am struck by how powerful I find these words..So powerful I read them and then had to read them again.  I certainly would like to offer my thighs to God.  They carry baggy remnants of the 200 pounds of extra weight I carried around.  Perhaps if I offered them to Him he could reshape them and smooth them into thighs I would find more attractive, that others would find more attractive.  But then I read the words again and this time saw them differently.  

"We offer these gifts of our thighs and offerings"

Perhaps my thighs are the gifts just as they are.  I am a child of God created in His image.  I have flaws and bumps and wrinkles and I have saggy, baggy thighs.   But those thighs I would love to offer to God hoping he could somehow transform them as he did when he changed the water into wine are wonderful gifts.  You see, they help me stand  upright, they carry me where I need to go, I can run, jump, dance, swim, kick and on and on.  My thighs and legs can carry me away from danger and walk me towards challenges and opportunities so my thighs will be my gift today, just as they are.  Thank you God for the gift of my thighs and I offer them to you knowing they come attached to me.  

"We offer these gifts of our thighs and offerings"