and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand,
satisfying the desire of every living thing." Psalm 145:15-16
Today's devotion by Bishop Patricia Lull continues the thoughts explored yesterday. All people are dependent upon God for food, air, water- the essentials of life. "The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season." (Psalm 145:15) These are verses of God's generosity. A table prayer before a meal acknowledges that the food before us is a gift of God, and we give thanks. From that humble posture, we are able to move out into the world, knowing there are hungry people, who also ought share in God's blessings, as we do. Bishop Lull writes, "This Lent we are invited to listen carefully for God's voice in our lives. The move from prayer, to recognition of our need for God, to acknowledging our relationship with hungry neighbors teaches us to open our hands to ensure that all creatures have what they need." Do you pray before meals? Does your prayer give thanks for God's generosity? Do you pray for those that do not have enough? Do you pray for open hands, to ensure all creatures have what they need? As we dine together, these are all thought provoking questions that can remind us of our dependence on God's generosity and our responsibility to serve our neighbor in need.
Grace before meals is often just a ritualistic habit. I appreciate this challenge to evaluate our words and our hearts when we give thanks. In Stephen Ministry we are reminded that sometimes we need to give a "cup of cold water" to refresh a person physically before we can minister to that person spiritually.
ReplyDelete