Tena koutou katoa. Nga mihi nui atawhai.

‘I give thanks for this day’ – opening line to a poem by Joy Cowley called Evening Prayer. This week has been filled with thanksgiving as we farewell our seniors, especially our Y13s, as they leave to make their way into the world. So I share this poem with you as a way of showing our gratitude for all our blessings, big and small.

I give thanks for this day

which covers me like a patchwork quilt,

a day made up of many small pieces,

some colourful and full of celebration,

some patches plain or subdued

and others a bit frayed around the edges,

all of it blessed by the God of Abundance.

Piece by piece, I offer my gratitude,

for the times I noticed the beauty around me,

for smiles given and smiles received,

for the goodness of sun and rain,

the freshness of bread and water,

and the great comfort of friends

who see not pieces but the whole.

For mistakes in my day,

the patches that need mending tomorrow,

I give God my fullest thanks, for these

are the learning parts of my life

open to growth through infinite grace.

I hold each error with heartfelt gratitude,

and seek ways to make repairs.

It is such a comfort to know

that I am still growing.

‘Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.’ 1 Chronicles 16:34.