I don’t know if it’s in the water or what, but my personal experience has proven that people in Tarrant County pray over meals more than people in Dallas County. We can’t really include Collin and Denton Counties in this comparison. Denton County is perhaps the most bizarre in Texas, and Collin County is full of overachieving business types – we all know they don’t pray ;).
To the point, I cannot count how many people pray before their meal in restaurants all over Hurst, Euless, Bedford, Arlingtonn, Fort Worth, Grapevine, Southlake, Colleyville, etc. As we speak, I’ve seen two of four tables nearest me pray before their meal.
My parents would probably say how sad it is that so few people pray in comparison to when they were my age. I, on the other hand, do not expect to see people pray in public ever, and it continues to startle me and make me feel oddly uncomfortable.
When did this become a problem for me? I realize now that I have slipped out of the habit of praying over every meal. It is a habit I kept for ten years, and only in the past year have started forgetting. The discomfort of public prayer for me has been largely that of making public something that is very personal. Despite the fact that I blog, which is an extroverted activity to say the least, I do not like having my personal details aired in front of everyone.
I admit it – I am still self-conscious and concerned about what others think.
But this article isn’t about me. Or, at least, it wasn’t supposed to be. Maybe Christians just gravitate towards Starbucks and Panera Bread. Whatever the case, I am amazed that so many people still pray. I don’t know why I am so pessimistic, but I tend to assume that most people attending church are Sunday Christians only, and any expression of faith throughout the week is unintentional.
Keep praying, Tarrant County. I don’t mind being wrong.