In our house, setting the table in the dining room means we’re getting ready for something special. Using the dining room means company must be coming! And, if the good china is the choice of tableware, the excitement for the occasion mounts.
Preparing for guests by getting our home ready is the precursor for also preparing our hearts to share who we are and what our lives are all about. It is a blessing to be able to invite people into our home to share life stories around our table.
As the cloth drapes over the six foot table in folds, prayers begin to drape over the coming event of sharing our table with others. Then, with the placement of each piece of china, silver, glassware, and napkin, more prayers are offered for a time of well-placed words and offered grace. To gather people around our table is to gather them to be loved on; to give of ourselves and open the door for God’s love and mercy to flow.
A simple bowl of soup, a crunchy bite of bread and a sweet dessert become offerings of grace when placed before loved ones and friends in the name of our Lord. Before even one guest rings the doorbell we place the gathering before the Lord, asking for His presence and blessing so that the time together will be orchestrated by Him for what is needed, whether healing, celebration, or just a time of “being.” The topics touched on, the stories told, and God’s presence become sweet as passed through the Holy Spirit’s sieve. We take to heart the encouragement found in Matthew 5:16 (The Message), “Keep open house; be generous with your lives by opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”
