Day 16 - Gratitude Challenge 2021

Giving thanks before meals...

Many people do it and many people do not. Some people do it before every meal, others occasionally. I'm one of those occasional people. But, during this exercise of intentionally showing gratitude daily, I've learned that giving thanks for meals is one of the most basic things that I can do to thank God for his abundance in my life.

As I sit at the table eating pizza with my dad and brother, I noticed that we'd ordered three different pizzas because we all had a taste for something different. At that moment, I realized that buying or preparing food in abundance (some would say excess) is a regular practice of ours. As we're eating, chatting, and having a nice time, my sister and one of our cousins walk into my house. "Ooh, pizza", my sister exclaims. They both, washup then join at the table. We continued to chat, laugh, eat and enjoy each other's company.

At that moment, I remembered my childhood, everyone was always welcome at the table to eat. I realized that I do not practice excess but I had been trained to share in my abundant blessings with others. I remembered that I'd never known hunger pains (food insecurity) because of lack of having meals and I often had more food than I needed and plenty to share with others.

The lesson here is that my blessings often surpass my needs and fulfill the majority of my wants. As a result, we all eat and are satisfied! How can I not be more intentional about giving thanks?

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N'cki Jaxon