Praying in the Sandwich Line
Mar 10, 2026 | By Nathan Brown UT Austin ‘28
I eat at this sandwich shop twice a week. There's typically a short line, so the elapsed time between arriving at the shop and leaving with my sandwich is between five and ten minutes. My instinct is to fill the "dead time" by pulling out my phone and browsing the internet. I'm not alone: most people in the shop do the same.
But over the last few weeks, I've tried to suppress that instinctive desire to disappear into my phone. I've realized that even though my phone can amuse or inform me, I don't feel a sense of deep satisfaction or fulfillment when I'm done with it. In fact, I often feel more anxious and uneasy. Therefore, it's irrational for me to ever use my phone while in the sandwich line, because it results in a negative rather than a positive outcome for me.
Unfortunately, as a human, I am imperfect and fundamentally irrational. I've had mixed success at the sandwich shop: I can resist using my phone during the wait only two-thirds of the time. But those visits—the ones when I don't use my phone—have been enjoyable. It's fun to notice the details around me and ask myself little questions. How are the other people in the line doing today? What kind of sandwich do I think each person will order? What's the deal with the strangely broken shelf?
Those are little ways I entertain myself that feel more fulfilling than looking at my phone. Though ultimately, I feel most fulfilled when I use my waiting time as a time for prayer. I thank God for the simple luxury of a delicious sandwich after a difficult 11 am class. I pray for focus and guidance, that I would spend the rest of my afternoon and evening working towards His purposes. I pray for many things.
This has been my goal for the season of Lent: to find time during the waiting periods of life to pray more frequently. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, we are called to "rejoice, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Prayer is important and is one of the best ways we can strengthen our relationship with God. Therefore, the more time we find to devote to prayer, the better.
The ten to twenty minutes I spend at the sandwich shop each week doesn’t need to be wasted. Replacing my time in the sandwich line with time for intentional prayer has been a fruitful experience that’s brought me closer to God. What small adjustments can you make in your own prayer life to bring you closer to God?