I had lunch at McAlister's today and had a sort of epiphany. I noticed a girl across the room at a table by herself (like I was, but with a laptop instead of a book) who, after she received her food from the waiter, closed her eyes and bowed her head in prayer with her hands together, touching her forehead. I watched as she sat there in silence for about 30 seconds, and I realized something about praying over food that I never have before: it primarily serves as a reminder to be thankful.
I admit that I've always thought praying before eating was a little silly. I didn't see the point. It didn't make sense to thank someone who wasn't there. I've never really been a big fan of prayer in general, because I never felt like it held any direct effect. That's not to say that I don't appreciate people telling me they'll pray for me when I'm having a hard time. In doing so, they are basically telling me they care, that they will be thinking of me, and that gives me comfort. Praying over food, however, doesn't have the same connotation. It's very much in the moment and directed at inanimate objects.
The problem with my old view is that the nature of prayer really has nothing to do with direct effect, or any effect, for that matter. It's all about intention. What I realized today is that it's not about the subject of the prayer. It's about having a sense of gratefulness. It's about reminding yourself to appreciate what you have. It's an opportunity for brief meditation on contentment. Prayer is introspective.
Seeing that girl pray in silence at the restaurant for no one but herself helped me realize that it really is about inner reflection and peacefulness. Especially if one lives a very busy life and has difficulty finding time to relax, taking 30 seconds before each meal to ruminate on gratitude can work wonders for overall contentment. I am definitely guilty of taking the little things for granted and forgetting that I have A LOT to be thankful for. Especially since I'm going through a rough time right now, it is sometimes hard to concentrate on what is good in my life; I sometimes forget to appreciate all that I have. I am going to start practicing everyday gratitude by taking a moment before each meal to briefly remind myself that my food is a gift, and in that moment of thanks, I will recognize other parts of my life that deserve appreciation.
