Discovering True Intimacy with Our Savior
Make us slow to forget You, O God, as we have reason to remember You constantly. Have You not supplied all our wants? In all that You do for us, may Your holy name be glorified.
Amen.
– Grace Before Meals, 1911, Compiled by A. William Nyce & Hubert Bunyea
Where we have done wrong, we humbly crave Your forgiveness, O Father in Heaven. Draw near to us now and overshadow us with Your great goodness, for Jesus’ sake.
Amen.
– Grace Before Meals, 1911, Compiled by A. William Nyce & Hubert Bunyea
You know what things we need, even before we ask You.
In Your mercy behold our present wants and be ever gracious to Your servants, for Christ’s sake.
Amen.
– Grace Before Meals, 1911, Compiled by A. William Nyce & Hubert Bunyea
Girl Scout cookies. Are they the work of the devil or manna from heaven? Someone help me out, because I’m not clear on this issue.
Then again, those 10 boxes sitting on your desk show me that maybe you’re not clear on the issue either. Perhaps it is just one of those things we will never know this side of Eden.
I mean, it’s for the kids, right?
What? Those 5 boxes?
I just didn’t want that little girl to be sad when she only sold 543 boxes instead of 548.
I hear ya!
I do!
There are few things more delightful (or tempting) than when you find out from a co-worker, family member or friend that the time is near. I’ve just decided that Girl Scout cookies, like death and Christ’s return, are inevitable. So, don’t judge me when I tell you that I handed over a check for a box (yes, one box) of Tag-a-longs.
“OK. I have you down as paid,” she said in a sing-song voice.
And then I heard in my heart these precious words,
“I have you down as paid, too.”
Simple moment.
Profound message.
Astounding truth.
God has the debt of my sins crossed off as paid.
Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord!
For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold and silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. – 1 Peter 1:18-19
What’s your favorite Girl Scout cookie? Come on…you know you have one.
For every gift of nature and of grace,
for our heavenly vision of You,
for all blessings within and without,
for all that Your love has in store for us, O God,
we give You gracious thanks.
Through Christ Jesus.
Amen.
– Grace Before Meals, 1911, Compiled by A. William Nyce & Hubert Bunyea
While packing up my house this summer, I stumbled across this gem.
This 102 year old book entitled “Grace Before Meals” was given to my grandmother by my great grandfather, Papa Whitten. I love that my grandmother’s handwriting is on the inside.
The pages are fragile.
The binding loose.
But among the pages of this tiny book lie secrets to the lost art of saying grace before meals.
The prayers are brief and eloquent.
They are timeless and true.
And it is a treasure I’ve been wondering what to do with for months.
Until today.
Each Thursday I will post one of the prayers from the book. I’ll replace the thee-s and thy-s, the unto-s and the thou-s; but otherwise, the prayers will remain unchanged.
My hope is that once a week you will find new words to express your gratitude not only around the dinner table but throughout your days as well.
“For the continuance of Your loving kindness to us, we give You all thanks, O Lord. Fulfill all our needs and save us, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.”
– Grace Before Meals, 1911, Compiled by A. William Nyce & Hubert Bunyea
