Whether in the swelter of summer
or when the winds of winter
rip their deepest splinters
from frail flesh,
I will praise you, O God.

Whether on the brightest days of autumn
or in the darkest nights of storm
when lightning rips blinding forms
against a blackened sky
and thunder shakes the walls,
I will call upon you, O God.

Whether for my most satisfying moments
or for the times of testing
when the best that I could do
was nothing more than futile failure
that left me writhing
in anguish and shame,
I will praise your name, O God.

For over seven decades,
I have seen the work of your hands,
felt your fashioning upon the clay of my heart,
witnessed your amazing presence
in both light and dark,
seen you work for my good in all things.

And though I have been at times
rebellious in both heart and mind,
chosen evil over good,
indulged the lust of my flesh
and the pride of my eyes,

You have never abandoned me,
never failed me,
never deserted me,
never withdrawn your Spirit from me.

Therefore,
in all things,
in all times,
in all places,
in every part of my self and my soul,
I will extol your name, O God.


H. Arnett
1/24/25