God is great, God is good...

"God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food.  By His hands we are fed, thank you Lord for our daily bread.  Amen."

As far as I can recall, this is the first prayer of any type I memorized as a kiddo.  And I'm fairly confident in making that assertion because when I was around 2ish I recited that prayer in my Dad's grandfather's hospital room right before he passed away and went to be with the Lord.  That's what my parents tell me at least, obviously my memory doesn't quite stretch that far back.  You'll have to get someone from my family to share the full story, but apparently it did provide some comedic relief to an otherwise sad and tearful occasion. 

Perhaps you have other food blessing prayers you can remember from your childhood.  Or just simple sayings you like to incorporate when you are called upon to "say grace" before the meal.  I'm sure the following video is familiar to most of you, but check it out again.  Like one buddy of mine says, "laughter is like medicine!"

Too funny!  But you might be wondering, "Brooks, where you goin with this buddy?"  Let me explain.

First off, I am someone who believes in blessing meals.  Jesus did it, my family does it, and almost everyone who has had any type of positive impact on my life does it.  The simple gesture of pausing to thank God for His provision is pleasing to Him and points our attention upward for a brief moment to acknowledge, as James says, "that every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."  It's a great habit to get into.

I'm sure most of you reading this would agree with that and hold similar views as myself.  However, if your primary motivation for saying a blessing is to sound holy in order to impress the rest of the table, like Greg does in the video, your perspective is entirely impaired.  Even if that is not your intention, the purpose and meaning behind what you are saying can very easily get lost in the shuffle.  Indeed, Christians everywhere would do well to be reminded of the following truth: If "saying the blessing" is the only part of your meal where you acknowledge God and give thanks, then you are missing out on an incredible opportunity to worship and enjoy Him. 

There is so much associated with the act of eating and drinking that should cause us to praise our Heavenly Father.  The fact that God made us in such a way that we can taste, smell, see, and touch.  It's not as if we are a car, and eating and drinking is like filling up with gasoline.  We can enjoy the tasty nourishment we are consuming.  As Chick-fil-A owner S.Truett Cathy says, "Food is essential to life; therefore make it good!"  He understands that food is more than just fuel, it's something to be savored [(gotta be careful about worshipping too much at fast food places though...sometimes too much of a good thing doesn't look so good in the mirror ha).  Side-note:  for all you Diet Coke drinkers out there - tell me Chick-fil-A's is not the best...especially paired with that original chicken sandwich and waffle fries!].

We also usually experience fellowship while eating.  We are relational creatures just like our Creator.  Isn't it special to enjoy good company with family and friends along with a great home cooked meal?  I could go on and on about this.  Some of the best memories I have are associated with a dinner table.  Going over to the Street's and indulging in some of Vicki's famous chicken-fried steak, my parents cooking in our backyard or tailgating after games, Thanksgiving at my Aunt Staci's or Christmas at both Grandparents, eating Iowa's famous sweet corn after a hot baseball game, etc.  I'm sure all of you could share similar lists.  We must learn to view these special times as means of joy bestowed by a loving, relational God who wants to provide for and bless His children. 

Lastly, we mustn't miss this connection:  food and drink are symbolic of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  After taking and eating of the bread of life (John 6) and drinking from the well that springs up to eternal life (John 4), we will never again hunger or thirst!  May we always be reminded of that reality when we take a bite or gulp.  Likewise, may we remember that for all of us who have accepted and trusted in Christ, a day is coming where we all feast together with Him in heaven.  There we will magnify Him for all of eternity!

There are more links than these I've mentioned, but I hope you get my drift.  Several of these were brought to my attention by a famous Christian preacher...and although I haven't read it yet, I've heard great things about a certain book that can be found by going to this site: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1433521369/ref=rdr_ext_tmb.

I hope this was helpful and encouraging.  It's certainly good to remind myself of these things, I can tell you that.  Frequently I get so caught up in the awkwardness that is all too often associated with "the blessing" that I miss out on its intended aim. 

May all of us intentionally make this act more than just a perfunctory, mundane routine.  Instead, let it be the beginning of a meal spent enjoying and worshiping the "fount of every blessing".