Sitting Around the dinner table

     As I was really processing our Pastor's sermon this week about being "we not me" as a family unit. He mentioned in his family the dinner table was their time together. I definitely had to think what does that look like in our family. And it brought me to think about my dinner table while growing up and how the dinner table was an essential part in our house. We would talk about our day and upcoming activities, whatever was bothering us etc. Andre grew up the same way it was an essential part of his home so as Andre and I talked about this we realized we wanted the same thing for our family. We wanted to have that place where we can come as a family and know it's our time to listen and laugh
    “Well, come home with me and have a meal.” 1 Kings 13:15
     Now here we are sitting at the table with our 18month old and sharing our meals. Are they always beautiful meals no but we are together. We try to make this a priority easier said than done some days but wow how nice it is to be us as a family. We say grace together and serve each other. We talk about our crazy day, laugh as Isaac is learning the fork and spoon. Don't get me wrong Isaac doesn't quite know what is going on but we look at it this way we train him up the way we want him to go. We want him to know the importance  of the dinner table not just to eat at but communicate at. We want him to know the importance of togetherness and to pray together at the dinner table. Putting Jesus and family first over the meaningless needs of the social media world.
    Last year we decided to take a parenting class offered at our church and it was amazing. In the class the gentleman talked about as crazy as his life could get the dinner table was the one place that his kids new as a safe place to discuss the good, the bad and the ugly. You see from that day on we as a couple made the decision that was what we wanted for our son. Ok don't get me wrong pizza movie night is an exception but that is still as important. As I started thinking about the dinner table and how even it was important to Jesus. He sat with his disciples at the table and broke bread. Which was His family. So to think the dinner table may seem insignificant it's not. It's the place to laugh playing a board game, eat a delicious meal, have a cup of coffee with a friend and pray together. In this house it's the center of our home. Its the place where we have shared some of the happiest and darkest times. The place where we have shed tears and prayed for wisdom and strength. The dinner table has definitely been a place where we have made some of the toughest decisions. It's the place where we've sat with Jesus and a cup of coffee quietly. God keeps bringing us to that same spot. He draws us there. Its the place in the home where when we sit down there is no technology, no distractions. It's just us as a couple, as a family. So here is my challenge to you what does your dinner table look like?

"Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble."Proverbs 17:17