![\"IMG_3539\"](\"https:\/\/franchlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/IMG_3539.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nGrace is something we say in our family before every meal. \u00a0\u201cSaying grace\u201d refers to the practice of thanking God for the food before us. \u00a0It is actually one of the most common forms of spoken prayer and is a tradition among all the major world religions. \u00a0I grew up saying the common lovely Catholic grace \u201cBless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty, through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.\u201d \u00a0Now, \u00a0in our family, the prayer of thanksgiving we’ve chosen isn\u2019t written out for us \u2013 instead, we take turns thanking the Lord for our food and for His provision in other ways as well.\u00a0\u00a0 It is said three times a day and sometimes before snacks. \u00a0You know what happens when something is said\u00a0over and over again, each time similar to the time before. \u00a0 It’s often expressed without full attention, without thoughtfulness, and even without comprehension of the meaning of the spoken words, and definitely without sincerity. \u00a0It was happening in our family – made obvious\u00a0by\u00a0the recent comment of our five year old, “The people who don’t believe in God are lucky because they get to eat their food sooner than me.” \u00a0Then, we\u00a0butchered the first lamb born on our franch. \u00a0And a lamb who had a name\u00a0was on our plate. \u00a0Bow your heads with me as our family\u00a0says grace with utter\u00a0sincerity.<\/p>\n