Latter-day Saint Life

Feeling Down? Then Don't Bless Your Food

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That title is correct. Feeling down? Don't bless your food. I was in Taiwan teaching English to a Buddhist family and discussing typical daily prayers in the USA. They were confused when they learned we asked God to bless our food.

They asked, "Why? Is your food poisoned? We would think your food is safe to eat in America." That simple question changed my "blessing on the food" the rest of my life.

I've learned the real purpose I should stop and pray over breakfast, lunch, or dinner is not to bless it, but to give thanks for it. Come on, if we really should be blessing things, we should be praying every time we ride in a car. Because statistically, we have a greater chance being injured in a car than our food not "nourishing and strengthening our bodies."

I have dozens of "happiness" studies bookmarked on my computer. And every single one, without exception, names gratitude as a fundamental part of happiness. And when I made the slight change of focus from "I can't eat this food yet. It hasn't been blessed" to "I need to stop and give thanks for this food," I found myself having little happy moments with deity during the day.

Lead image from Bravely Botching Life
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