Last week, I took my grandchildren out to a restaurant for dinner. It was supposed to be a simple, quiet meal.
Before the food arrived, my six-year-old grandson looked up at me with bright eyes and asked politely, “Grandpa, can I say grace?”
Of course, I said yes.
Everyone at the table bowed their heads as the little boy clasped his hands together and began his prayer.
A Prayer That Made the Whole Restaurant Listen
In his sweet, innocent voice he said:
“God is good, God is great.
Thank you for the food… and I would thank you even more if Grandpa gets us ice cream for dessert.
And liberty and justice for all. Amen!”
For a brief moment there was silence.
Then soft laughter rippled through the nearby tables. A few people smiled at the child’s sincerity.
But not everyone was amused.
The Comment That Changed the Mood
From a nearby table, a woman shook her head and muttered loudly enough for others to hear.
“That’s what’s wrong with this country,” she said.
“Kids today don’t even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream? Why, I never!”
Her words cut deeper than she probably realized.
My grandson’s face crumpled instantly.
Tears filled his eyes as he looked up at me and whispered, “Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?”
An Unexpected Stranger Speaks Up
I pulled him close and reassured him that he had done a wonderful job, and that God certainly wasn’t mad at him.
Just then, an elderly gentleman from another table slowly walked over.
He leaned down, gave my grandson a friendly wink, and said warmly, “You know something? I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer.”
My grandson looked up, surprised.
“Really?” he asked.
“Cross my heart,” the old man replied with a smile.
Then he leaned closer and added in a playful whisper, nodding toward the woman who had complained:
“Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes.”
