“How You bring sweetness to
those who think of You,
how life-giving is your word
it is softer than oil, sweeter than honey to talk with You.
Praying to you brings life into us and gives us wings.
What trembling then fills the heart;
what dignity and greatness and wisdom there are
in nature and all of life.
Where you are not — there is emptiness.
Where You are — there is richness of soul,
a torrent of life:
Alleluia.”
– from the Akathist of Thanksgiving

Who have we in Heaven and on earth but You?

The Akathist of Thanksgiving, also known as “Glory to God for All Things,” was written by Metropolitan Tryphon of Turkistan, while he was imprisoned in a Soviet prison camp during World War II. He imagined all of God’s sublime and beautiful creation in poetic detail while in a cramped cell, and his words were found with Protopresbyter Gregory Petrov after he died in 1942. This prayer is truly a witness to a heart tuned to Christ in gratitude despite being surrounded by great suffering and darkness. Glory to God!

Sunflower, Ragweed, Chamomile, Queen Anne’s Lace, and Sea Holly surround the words, which are just a part of the Akathist for Thanksgiving. This is a beautiful print to enjoy all year long but is especially poignant for Fall and Thanksgiving, inviting us to praise and honor to God for Him and and His creation.

This is a print of an original watercolor and ink painting. 

Find more from this artist at www.emiliaspost.com