Prayer for a Wiener

Every now and then you see something that sticks in your head and you can’t stop thinking about it. I decided to hit the gym yesterday during my lunch hour, and as I was walking over I spied a woman saying grace over a plain hotdog in a bun. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

At first I felt bad for the lady, to be so grateful for a measly $1.19 hotdog. Had life been so unkind to her that she felt lucky to have this sole wiener in a bun? The cynical side of me chimed in that if times were this tough, she would’ve loaded up on toppings since those were free with purchase of the hotdog. This woman had not done that. She didn’t seem to be suffering. She was very nicely dressed and seemed to be a white-collar worker.

I then decided she must be a very devout individual. Good for her. Life is hard, and a good belief system enables a person to cope. Then I began to ponder this. God is quite busy—I’m sure that while He appreciates the gratitude, He probably doesn’t feel like you have to send Him thanks for every possible thing that is sent your way. It’s like the coworkers who copy you on EVERY SINGLE email. Perhaps it would be better to just make a mental note of what you’re grateful for and send one comprehensive prayer at the end of the day.

I also started thinking about the hotdog itself. They aren’t particularly good for you. In fact they are loaded with preservatives and Nitrates and fat. God probably doesn’t want credit for that hotdog any more than the French want credit for French fries. What if hotdogs are the work of Satan? In that case it was at best misdirected and at worst horribly inappropriate for this woman to thank God for the work of Satan. You wouldn’t thank God for murders or theft or disease or pestilence, so don’t thank Him for your poor food choices. God deserves better than that.

I never decided what the true story was. I DID decide that I had definitely put more thought into this woman’s meal than she had. After my workout, I made a conscious decision to eat a healthy lunch. Maybe that was why God had put that woman in my path…to get me to eat a healthier lunch than the one she was eating. And for that I am grateful.