I was talking with my prayer partner today, and the subject of Communion came up.  I told her how I’d gone to a church that treated Communion as an actual meal, taken together. We would read that verse together every week, then spent some prayer time with God, just asking Him to examine our hearts and shine His mirror upon them, showing us our imperfections. When we spent time with Him over things we needed to fix the coming week, and repented or prayed as necessary, and we felt the ok from God, we’d go up and get our food, and eat it together. Once everyone was done, we’d start the service.

I loved it that way, because even if you hadn’t spent much time in prayer that week, it was still a weekly call to come before your Savior and be open to Him. It’s also a reminder of what He did for us. At His last supper He took the bread and said “Take this, all of you, and eat it. This is my body, which will be given up for you.” Given up. Broken, bloodied, and crucified. Sacrificed in a horrific and painful way…for us. How much grace and love was behind that sacrifice? And how often do we think about it? Moreover, how often do we thank Him for it? The magnitude of His love for us is astounding. As it should be. Our gratitude should be overwhelming. We should think about Jesus’ time on that cross and be moved to tears. How can we not trust our Lord, the one who sacrificed for us before we even existed – because He knew He loved us even back then, and knew He found us worth it.

As we talked, I was moved more and more by what He gave to us. Every thing we have and do, even what we eat, is a gift given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ. Everything. It is all a blessing, given by His grace.

So readers, today I ask you to be moved right along with me. When you sit down to a meal today, and hopefully from here on out, give thanks. Not just for the fact that you get to eat, but also for what had to be sacrificed so that you could. Whether you’re calling it Communion or just a regular meal, whether you’re eating in a group or just with God. Give thanks, and open your hearts to Jesus just a little bit more. Maybe He has guidance for you; maybe He just wants to dine with you as He dined with His friends on that last supper. Regardless, see what happens when you sit in His presence for that much longer, thanking Him for what He’s given you, and sitting open to His advice. Let Him in that much more, and get to know Him that much better. He bled and died so that you could.

~Rebekah A