Matthew 15:36
Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people.
One practice we keep at our dinner table is to ask God's blessing over our food before we dig in. We hold hands, bow our heads, and my husband, Danny, leads us in prayer.
Lately, our granddaughter, Virginia Rose, has been spending lots of time with us during the week so her mother can visit with little sister, Savannah Jane, in the hospital. This means that she is sharing many dinners with us and has readily acclimated to our tradition of saying grace.
One afternoon when Danny is working at home, we all get an unexpected snack attack. I decide to go for the unhealthy, but tasty, chips and dip. But, Virginia asks for her latest favorite food.
"Papa! Make me a Papa Burger, please?"
That's the name she's given to Danny's hamburger sliders which he serves on a water roll. Needless to say, we get a big kick out of this. Danny now jokingly calls our kitchen "The Orlando Cafe - Home of the Papa Burger.
When he finishes making the burger for Virginia, he serves it to her. I'm already seated at the table, munching away. Danny then decides to make a Papa Burger for himself.
As he sits down and prepares to eat it, Virginia looks at me and then at him. She stretches out her little arms toward each of us.
"Say grace?"
Are we ever caught with egg on our faces! Because we all sat down at different times, it didn't cross our minds to say anything but a silent thanksgiving, something I always do before I take that first bite.
Of course, we stop everything to take her tiny hands in ours. With heads bowed and eyes closed, Danny asks the blessing. When he is finished, Virginia declares, "Good! Now eat!"
And, we do just that!
~
Is it a tradition at your home to say grace before meals?
Prayer: Just as Your Son, Jesus, gave thanks to You for the food You so graciously provided in the miracle of the loaves and fishes, may we always ask Your blessing over every meal, large or small, giving thanks in all things. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
A wonderful tradition of gratitude and a great reminder for all of us. : )
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, PS!
DeleteLove and blessings!
That is a wonderful practice and so good that Virginia has taken to it.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad she has, too, Janu! It's so important for us to be grateful in all things.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Martha, what a wonderful reminder to thank the Lord for the food we have. I try to remember to give a short prayer of thanks before each meal.
ReplyDeleteVirginia is learning some wonderful life lessons from you and Danny.
Love and Blessings!
I do hope she is learning some valuable lessons, Kim. It's never too early to start teaching children to love God and to be grateful for all He provides.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Little Virginia will surely grow into a noble lady! Some people do observe such traditions but mechanically and that affects many a tender hearts.
ReplyDelete-Portia
I hear you about the mechanical aspect - we try to keep it fresh and real, including prayers for others in the day's circumstances. And, yes, she is growing up beautifully!
DeleteLove and blessings, Portia!
I remembered a poem taught in school after reading this:
ReplyDeleteThank you God for the food we eat.
Thank you God for birds that sing.
Thank you God for everything.
We used to say this before breakfast, lunch and snacks every day and we got so much used to it that we began it at home also :)
I love that poem, Privy! And, so true that we should be thankful to God for everything we have.
DeleteLove and blessings!