--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was a child, we never began a meal…" description: "\"When I was a child, we never began a meal without prayer. We thanked God for the food, for each other.\" — Jacqueline Woodson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c3/jacqueline-woodson-1482_children_when-i-was-a-child-we-never-began-a-meal_2706556.png" --- # When I was a child, we never began a meal without prayer… ![“When I was a child, we never began a meal without prayer. We thanked God for the food, for each other.” quote by Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c3/jacqueline-woodson-1482_children_when-i-was-a-child-we-never-began-a-meal_2706556.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c3/jacqueline-woodson-1482_children_when-i-was-a-child-we-never-began-a-meal_2706556.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c3/jacqueline-woodson-1482_children_when-i-was-a-child-we-never-began-a-meal_2706556.png) > “When I was a child, we never began a meal without prayer. We thanked God for the food, for each other.” [Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children traditionally begin meals with prayer, expressing gratitude for food and each other. **In simple terms:** Meal prayers teach gratitude and community. Key Takeaway Start meals with a moment of thanks. Themes faith family gratitude tradition community Mood warm reflective Type cultural spiritual When to use this quote - family dinner - holiday meals - school lunch programs Key Concepts spiritual practice family rituals Questions to Reflect On - What does gratitude mean in your daily life? - How can you foster community without religious rituals? A Different Perspective Secular families may not share this practice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) ## Related quotes > [Standing on that platform, I said a silent prayer. I thanked God for giving me the strength and the opportunity to come back, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magic-johnson/standing-on-that-platform-i-said-a-silent-prayer-i-thanked-god-for/) [Magic Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magic-johnson/) > [God made food; the devil the cooks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/god-made-food-the-devil-the-cooks/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [How is it that we do not die of love in seeing that God Himself could do no more than shed His divine blood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/how-is-it-that-we-do-not-die-of-love-in-seeing-that-god-himself-could/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [“Not given, not blessed by God, it was food whose eating was condemned to be communion with itself alone, and not with God. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-schmemann/not-given-not-blessed-by-god-it-was-food-whose-eating-was-condemned/) [Alexander Schmemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-schmemann/) > [“I told him God didn’t invent grocery stores. He told me that I had no proof of this, and wouldn’t I feel stupid when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-klune/i-told-him-god-didn-t-invent-grocery-stores-he-told-me-that-i-had-no/) [T.J. Klune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-j-klune/) > [I say grace. I'm a big believer in grace. I happen to believe in a God that made all the food and so I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alton-brown/i-say-grace-i-m-a-big-believer-in-grace-i-happen-to-believe-in-a-god/) [Alton Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alton-brown/) > [Any day, any minute we bless God for our being or for anything, for food, for sunlight, we do and are what we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-manley-hopkins/any-day-any-minute-we-bless-god-for-our-being-or-for-anything-for/) [Gerard Manley Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-manley-hopkins/) > [God is the food our spirits were designed to feed on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/god-is-the-food-our-spirits-were-designed-to-feed-on/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. “You’re blessed uncommon when you’ve worked up a good appetite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carey-scott/that-s-the-moment-you-find-yourselves-proud-owners-of-everything-that/) [Carey Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carey-scott/) > [Two of the central ingredients to our family are food and faith, so sitting down together and thanking God for the food He's provided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/two-of-the-central-ingredients-to-our-family-are-food-and-faith-so/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [The God which cannot give me food in this world, cannot give me Heaven in the other world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-god-which-cannot-give-me-food-in-this-world-cannot-give-me-heaven/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [The 'good food' is...the food of the Word of God, for as food builds up the tissues of the body, repairs waste, and preserves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-griffith-thomas/the-good-food-is-the-food-of-the-word-of-god-for-as-food-builds-up/) William Griffith Thomas > [The word of God is the food by which prayer is nourished and made strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/the-word-of-god-is-the-food-by-which-prayer-is-nourished-and-made/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [From old habit, unconsciously he thanked God that he no longer believed in Him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/from-old-habit-unconsciously-he-thanked-god-that-he-no-longer/) [W. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-winters/that-night-i-thanked-god-for-seeing-me-through-that-day-of-days-and/) [Richard Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-winters/) ## More by Jacqueline Woodson > [A lot of times, when people send me books to read - new writers mostly - I find that the book is still in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-woodson/a-lot-of-times-when-people-send-me-books-to-read-new-writers-mostly-i/) [Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/) > [I think, even though homophobia still exists, there is much more of a dialogue and a taboo around being homophobic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-woodson/i-think-even-though-homophobia-still-exists-there-is-much-more-of-a/) [Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/) > [I still love Carson McCullers and Raymond Carver and Toni Morrison and James Baldwin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-woodson/i-still-love-carson-mccullers-and-raymond-carver-and-toni-morrison/) [Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/) > [I'm usually working on several things at once. 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