A Pause Before the Forks Hit the Plates
The house is loud. Someone’s looking for the ketchup, someone else is already trying to steal a bite, and someone definitely forgot to set out napkins.
Dinner at our place is rarely picture-perfect. But before the forks hit the plates, we pause.
Hands folded, heads bowed. Sometimes someone peeks. Sometimes a little one blurts out something totally unrelated.
But always, we say grace.
Not because it’s trendy. Not because it’s flawless.
Because we believe in remembering where our blessings come from.
It’s Not About the Performance
Let’s be honest. Grace at our house isn’t always polished.
Sometimes it’s a short “Thank You, Lord, for this food, amen” before the rolls disappear. Sometimes it’s a beautiful moment where someone shares a prayer that surprises us.
And sometimes… it’s a giggle-fest because someone accidentally says “cow” instead of “food.” (It happens.)
But that’s not the point.
Saying grace isn’t about saying the right thing.
It’s about remembering the real thing: that food is a gift. That someone worked for it. That God provided it.
It shifts our focus, even just for a moment, from the chaos to the blessing.
What It Teaches Our Kids
Gratitude doesn’t just happen. You have to teach it. And saying grace is one of the quietest, most consistent ways to do that.
Every time we pause, we’re planting little seeds:
You are not the center of the universe.
You have more than many.
You didn’t make this meal appear by magic.
Even the littlest kids start to understand, we don’t just dig in and take. We stop and thank.
It might not seem like a big deal at the time, but those moments matter. The habit becomes heart work. And over time, it shapes how they see the world.
It Slows Us Down
If your house is anything like ours, dinner prep isn’t slow. It’s a race. A scramble. A team sport where someone always forgets the silverware.
But grace? Grace slows the whole thing down.
It’s the exhale before the meal. It’s a small act that says: this moment is worth noticing.
And in a world that wants to rush everything from drive-thru meals to scrolling through conversations, this pause is powerful.
It reminds us that meals aren’t just fuel. They’re fellowship.
Saying Grace Builds Belonging
Kids won’t remember every meal we made. (Though I’m sure they’ll remember the burned ones.)
But they will remember that we stopped. That we folded our hands. That we said thank you out loud, together.
It’s not just a faith thing. It’s a family thing.
Traditions like grace build belonging. They remind our kids they’re part of something. That our table is more than a place to eat, it’s a place to be known.
And when they’re grown, and sitting at their own table someday, I hope they’ll pause too. Even if it’s just for a second.
The Blessing Is the Habit
We still say grace because it centers us.
Because even when life is messy and meals are rushed and someone spills the milk again, that one quiet moment matters.
It’s not about doing it perfectly. It’s about doing it faithfully.
And I believe, FULLY, that practicing gratitude out loud helps us live with more of it the rest of the day.
So we’ll keep pausing. We’ll keep saying thanks. We’ll keep reminding ourselves that everything we have is a gift.
Forks down. Heads bowed.
Amen.
