Supper Prayer

They sat around the table, ranging short to tall. Hands were clasped in silence, every head was bowed. The day was drawing to a close and as they sat to sup, their father sat at table head, his eyes were lifted up. He searched the tender faces of the children in his care and looked so deep inside himself for words that were not there. The children waited patiently, to hear the supper prayer, and wondered how to thank the Lord for food that wasn’t there. All the plates were empty. The bowls were empty too. They guessed that what they had for lunch was going to have to do. Life had been a struggle, their mom had not been well. The load on Father’s shoulders was a tough one they could tell. He closed his eyes and bowed his head and then began to pray. “Thank you Lord for loving us and thank you for today”. He didn’t ask for anything as far as I recall. He did not know that I was there, waiting in the hall. The tears were running down my face. I slipped outside the door. Such a prayer of gratitude I’d never heard before. But what I saw before I left I’ll never see again. When their father’s prayer was done the children said “Amen!”.