Gracious Living: Quaker Prayer before Dinner

Yesterday, I was in Houston for my Dad's cancer appointments. I was staying with my friend Nell there, and since I was done with the appointments by 2, I decided I would put together dinner for her and her fiance. Nell'd had a 7-detention-giving day (she's a school teacher); and then got a stressful phone call. When sitting down to dinner I suggested "Shall we pray"? (2 out of the 3 of us go to church, I figured that was a quorum.) "We'll pray the Quaker way -- with silence" she said. We sat in silence for what was probably 3 minutes -- it seemed like a long time -- before she concluded by saying "Amen."

It was an incredibly calming experience to sit in the quiet with our eyes closed for just a short while. Taking time to do a short reset and slow down before eating made us all enjoy ourselves much more. I was unfamilar with Quaker prayer, but I was glad to learn it from my friend. A moment of silence, if taken seriously, is a great prayer.