A Child's Praise and Grace

It's not often that I get into matters of religion in this space. I save that for conversations with my mother, my family, select friends and a pastor who personally counsels me from time to time. But I will today.

I grew up saying my blessing/grace before every meal. My father led the prayer and if he wasn't around then my mother did. I have been saying the same 3-sentence grace since learning it and I have in turn taught it to my family. My wife says it, my son says it and my daughter follows along mouthing it with the intention of being able to say it on her own very soon.

Then she (babygirl) decided to throw us a curveball.

"Daddy, Daddy! I have a blessing I want to say," she announced before dinner not too long ago.

"Sure go ahead." We all waited for her to stop giggling and she said:

"Dear God, we love you. Thank you for this food. Amen."

My wife loved it and clapped for our daughter. My son loved it as well as it shortened the usual grace by about 45 seconds and allowed him to bury his face in his plate that much quicker. I thought it was cute, but like a Pharisee was skeptical of the "meat and potatoes" of the blessing. Regardless, we've been alternating between hers and "ours" ever since.

Just yesterday it hit me like a bag of bricks: My daughter begins her grace by saying "We love you." I've never said that --- not even once before giving thanks and asking that my meal, anything from a hamburger to a salmon fillet, give me wisdom, health and strength. My little one is giving praise and then thanks. Her little "2-sentence" blessing is more potent than the most long and drawn out "sermons" at the table. It has more meat and potatoes than any I've ever heard to date.

Out of the mouths of babes. She is so ahead of the curve.

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E.Payne is the author of Investing In An Emotional Letdown and I Didn't Invented Sex. For the past 3 years he has posted 600+ articles about fatherhood, marriage and everything in between here at Makes Me Wanna Holler.com. To learn more, click here.