A prayer to share a true heart of thankfulness by Maggie Meadows Cooper, read by Lea Martin.

When times are good, be happy, but when times are bad, consider this.

God has made the one as well as the other, Ecclesiastes 7-14.

It's Thanksgiving season, and I've naturally been thinking of all I'm thankful for, family,

friends, jobs, material blessings, etc.

Those are all things I'm absolutely thankful for, but it all just seems so predictable.

To routine, to blah, saying I'm thankful for my family, etc.

Just doesn't seem like enough for some reason.

It doesn't seem honest enough.

It doesn't show the reality of my days.

It doesn't show the depth of my depravity.

It's all just too superficial.

You may get what I'm saying, you may not, but hear my heart here.

I've gotten to know a number of souls in the past few years who live day-to-day through situations and relationships.

I can't even begin to understand.

Their hearts and minds carry burdens that I can't even fathom because in all honesty, I've led a fairly charm to life.

But some, with whom I speak, have never had the security I feel.

They don't have their people, who they can say with absolute certainty, will always love them and stand by them as long as they're able.

They don't know without a doubt that there's a God who loves them and will never leave them because no one in their life has modeled a love like that.

It's because of them that thankfulness takes on a new meaning this year.

I can't just give a blanket statement anymore.

I need to tell them and others exactly what I'm thankful for and who is responsible for every good thing in my life.

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