It consisted of two chicken-fried steaks with gravy and sliced onions; a triple-patty bacon cheeseburger; a cheese omelet with ground beef, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and jalapenos; a bowl of fried okra; one pound of BBQ meat with a half loaf of white bread, three fajitas; a meat lover’s pizza; one pint of Blue Bell ice cream; a slab of peanut-butter fudge and three root beers. And for some reason, he chose not to eat any of it.

This topic piqued my interest, so I went looking for some facts. I guess some states still let inmates make requests but limit the cost. In Florida there is a $40 limit. Some states have a death row website and convicts can pick from it. Some infamous murderers have asked for some interesting items. Timothy McVeigh only wanted two pints of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.

Now I am assuming that no one reading this article will ever find themselves on death row, but it is interesting to think a bit about a last meal. Let’s say that you knew for certain that the Lord was going to return on Wednesday morning. So, Tuesday night was your last dinner this side of glory. What would you fix?

I think mine would be roasted turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. Perhaps with a little lasagna on the side.

Truth is none of us know when our “last meal” will be. We don’t know when the Lord will return (Matthew 24:36) and we certainly do not know when He will call us home. Our life span is designated by God. “That day” is already on the “master’s” calendar and it could be today, or tomorrow, or next December, or ten years from now.

So this week, perhaps we should approach each of our meals as if it were the last. Let’s think about what is in front of us. Let’s remember who gave us strength so we could work and earn that meal. Let’s remember whose grace provided the very morsels we chew. If that thought crossed our minds as we prayed before a meal, I’ll bet our sense of gratitude might be increased.

Let’s make sure our list of daily activities includes appreciation just for the day and its allotment of food. It might be our last meal. But more importantly, it might the last chance we have this side of glory to praise Him for providing all that we have.