The opening verses of this psalm paint a picture of God calling to us “from the rising of the sun to its setting.” This transforming God yearns for us to notice that God walks before us, behind us, beside us.

A few years ago I began to learn more about my Celtic heritage and its spirituality. I learned that my Celtic ancestors lived close to the earth and its rhythms. The old ones invoked blessings of the Holy One from the dawning of the day to its close. No activity was too small or mundane to be blessed by the Creator. God’s blessing was asked for the kindling of the fire in the morning and the smooring of the coals at night. There were blessings for the workers, the children, and the livestock; blessings for the beginning of a journey and the safe arrival of travelers. The tools of life were brought before God in gratitude: the loom and the boat, the seeds for planting and the scythe for reaping. All these things were transformed by prayer into connections with the One who created us and gave us life.

As I studied and reclaimed my own Celtic heritage, I began to notice more things around me.

Through these prayers, my heart of fear, obsession, or boredom is transformed into a heart of gratitude.

I have added a blessing practice to my day in the form of a “bless to me” prayer. I encourage you to try this practice today. First, think of something or someone you are grateful for. Then remind yourself of how this person or object brings you joy or gratitude. Finally, write about these things using the form, “Bless to me . . . ”