Meal Prayer

I love that Junia now sits in her high chair and eats with us. It seems like before she ate solids we were always trying to figure out what to do with her during meals. It simply makes eating easier. We generally pray before we eat. Whether we take a deep breath and enjoy silence for a minute, say the regular old, "bless us o' lord and these thy gifts....," list out the petitions and stressors of our day and our world, or stare blankly into each others eyes until one of us says something we almost always do it.

The reality is that Junia doesn't have a lot of patience for our prayers..."on with the food." She seems to say, "stop holding my hand and let me get busy," her little fingers demand. So one of our new ways of praying at mealtimes is signing. We are now oftentimes, beginning our meals with a quick verse of some church song. It's been a delight.