The Table is a Powerful Place!
Laura Longville
The table is powerful. A place of connection, blessing, and sometimes, brokenness.
Whether it’s your kitchen table, favorite restaurant, coffee shop, pub, picnic table, or lap…… that table creates and stirs deep emotions.
Most of us eat three meals a day. Over a span of a year, that’s 1095 meals. Countless meals are shared together with family, friends, and sometimes strangers. Stories are told, and wrongs confessed. We laugh and cry together; we reminisce and dream of where we might go one day or what we might do. We pray at the table. To have a place at the table is special; we feel loved and know we belong there.
We shouldn’t be surprised because God has a way of showing up at tables. There are over 70 references to the table in Scripture, and besides that, God gave us 10,000 taste buds. He knew that food would taste amazing to our body, soul, and spirit. Susha Roberts shares 10 lessons from Jesus’ table. Visit the article and learn about how Jesus engages with people and creates lasting memories that inspire us all.
The table is a place of connection.
The table is one of the most important places we, as humans, connect. Table fellowship nourishes us physically, psychologically, and spiritually. Physically, the table helps us to pay attention to what we eat, where we eat, and with whom we eat. Psychologically, joy-filled conversations can bring about feelings of love, peace, acceptance, and laughter. Spiritually, we notice God’s presence and action within our lives.
Table memories remind us of what is important; they touch our hearts and lead to gratitude. Recently, our small friend group gathered at a serene campground in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. Each meal was carefully planned, and memories created. We nourished our bodies, (overflowing at times ), and our hearts were filled with meaningful conversations. We looked back over our summer and encouraged one another by sharing our most meaningful summertime memories.
What are some of your memories? We’d love to hear about your experiences. Please comment below.
Practical Implementation
One spiritual practice, spiritual discipline, or practice of grace we can recover today is the discipline of table fellowship.
We all go through seasons where we have “too much on our plates”, literally and figuratively. We assess and reassess what we can remove. Whether you’re in a season of “too much on your plate” or “just about right on your plate”, be intentional of how your table is a place of connection. Connect to those you care for, notice God in your life or make a new friend.
As God calls us to the table three times a day, 1095 times a year to feast on who he is, we in turn can love, encourage, and inspire those around us. We can create an intentional connection at the Table. Won’t you join us?
(I recognize that not all encounters at our tables are safe experiences or good memories. The next post will focus on this topic)