Grace - when or when not to?
Andrew and I had dinner the other day with a friend who isn't Christian but knows that this is what we are, who we are, why we love. We were very excited to have him in the city!
Anyway, I always hate the very awkward moment when you either have to find time in a conversational break or have awkward silence while the other people at the table wait for you to say your grace (privately) of course and then resume your dinner conversation as if nothing ever happened. I think the most awkward one is when the person you are with still is talking while you say your meal grace and realises what you're doing and says sorry.
So this time, I decided to just say grace out loud, got a weird raised eyebrow from Andrew, and did it.
Ok, so maybe our friend looked a little uncomfortable but I was just happy to have him visiting us, having dinner with us in San Fran, and wanted to say a blessing for dinner and for him and our friendship. I figured, he knows that God is central in our lives and that it should be ok.
Later that evening, Andrew asked me what the heck that was all about. He asked me how I would feel if I were asked to join in prayer by a Jew, Muslim, or Hindu. I said it would depend on the circumstances and I KNOW where he was getting at with this. But I argued, this is who I am! Why must I hide the fact that I want to say grace out loud because I'm feeling abundantly blessed and thankful? He asked the above role reversal question again.
So do invite others to follow suit with us when saying meal grace or continue to keep it to ourselves? I mean, it's not like I ask random strangers if I can pray with them (actually I do). I really don't FORCE or anything. I just felt that this is WHO I am and this friend knows that so this should be ok... shouldn't it?
Ah - feeling conflicted. Any thoughts?
Anyway, I always hate the very awkward moment when you either have to find time in a conversational break or have awkward silence while the other people at the table wait for you to say your grace (privately) of course and then resume your dinner conversation as if nothing ever happened. I think the most awkward one is when the person you are with still is talking while you say your meal grace and realises what you're doing and says sorry.
So this time, I decided to just say grace out loud, got a weird raised eyebrow from Andrew, and did it.
Ok, so maybe our friend looked a little uncomfortable but I was just happy to have him visiting us, having dinner with us in San Fran, and wanted to say a blessing for dinner and for him and our friendship. I figured, he knows that God is central in our lives and that it should be ok.
Later that evening, Andrew asked me what the heck that was all about. He asked me how I would feel if I were asked to join in prayer by a Jew, Muslim, or Hindu. I said it would depend on the circumstances and I KNOW where he was getting at with this. But I argued, this is who I am! Why must I hide the fact that I want to say grace out loud because I'm feeling abundantly blessed and thankful? He asked the above role reversal question again.
So do invite others to follow suit with us when saying meal grace or continue to keep it to ourselves? I mean, it's not like I ask random strangers if I can pray with them (actually I do). I really don't FORCE or anything. I just felt that this is WHO I am and this friend knows that so this should be ok... shouldn't it?
Ah - feeling conflicted. Any thoughts?
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