Each Friday night I have a date with my niece and nephews. We share a meal, lounge around and play games. In the beginning the conversation was limited. They were in diapers and drinking from sippy cups; but I still loved every minute.
Even when they are tired and the conversation is limited there is still magic to be found around the table. There is something sacred about sharing a meal with others. Everything else stops, unless you allow mobile devices to join you at the table. I beg you to please make your dinner table a no device zone.
The moments when we are talking about food, sharing our days and praying together draws us closer.
Food by itself nourishes our body. When we share food with someone else it can nourish our souls.
This has been a year of beginnings, endings and sometimes the feeling of going in circles. Lot’s of decisions, hard work and disappointments as I wait on God. In those moments of crisis or silence there can be great moments of revelation.
Our faith or lack of, rises to the surface in the moments. We can choose to see divine appointments but often that is not our first response. It is easy to lets anxiety creep up.
Cooking soothes my soul so when I am in the midst of rough times, I go to the kitchen. Some people find God in nature, I often find Him in the kitchen or around the table.
The last two Fridays I have spent part of the day preparing beautiful food to bring to the kids. It is therapy to cook for people I love.
I stir the sauce for the chicken pot pies wondering if they will like it. As I slice little slits into the potatoes I wonder if they will think these are delicious or dumb. The idea is crazy to some people who wonder why I would put that much thought into a meal for a bunch of kids. But they aren’t just kids, they are my family. I want them to feel treasured, even if it is just for a moment.
I feel brief moments of triumph when they are pleased, their bellies are full and plates are bare. I know it is a winner when they say “Will you bring us this again?”
I know I have hit a home run when my mom tells me the next night they asked her to tell me again, please bring those Hasselback potatoes next Friday.
What nourishes your soul? What is dinner time like at your home?
Being a single woman means that dinner time can be lonely. A quick read of my Facebook will show me where my single friends are eating out. I love trying new restaurants and enjoy being served a meal I don’t have to clean up after. Eating out does not satisfy your soul in the way a home cooked meal does.
I had this “AHA” moment where I realized worrrying about my future will not solve my problems. I might as well enjoy the journey. I am on a mission to invite someone over once a week for a meal. I am reclaiming my mission to celebrate life around the table.
What about your home? What would it look like for you to stop and cook a meal, even the simplest of one, for someone else? For your family?
This is the first in a series Reclaiming The Dinner Table. Look for the several posts over the next week.
0
Leave a Reply