Living a Lifestyle of Making Room at the Table for One More
Last week and today, I’m still setting the table. The law would have us exclude so many who need to come to the table, but Jesus came, extending an invitation of grace to come to the table, to sit with him, to sit long and talk much, to drink living water, and eat the bread of eternal life. If Jesus lived his life making room at the table for more – shouldn’t we? Whether it’s the dinner table or kitchen counter?
My grandmother taught me a lot about making room for more in her home and at the dinner table. After all, when my parents divorced, my grandmother and grandfather made room for my mom, brother and me.
Sitting around that table, I learned a lot about making room for more.
Muddy of the Corn Fritters lived her life making room for more. When my great-great grandmother came to live with Muddy, my grandmother – Mary Edna’s room was moved to the hallway.
Making room for more sometimes required uncomfortable sacrifice with a joyful heart.
When Mary Edna grew up and married, she made room for Uncle Deck when nobody else would.
When my uncle died, Aunt Joyce made room for more to fill up the empty, lonely places. She invited family and neighbors often to dinner.
I learned making room for more at the table holds blessing.
Mary Edna had strong opinions. At the table, we listened to her opinions. Year after year, she expressed her frustration when traveling family members would leave one family home hungry – because they weren’t feed enough to fill them. When they arrived at her house, they’d be starving. They would eat and eat and eat because no one had filled them up.
I learned to never let anyone leave my house hungry.
When I married, Mary Edna gave me her copy of Amy Vanderbilt’s book of Etiquette – the law for gatherings and behavior at those gatherings. It contained Rules for Safe Order, how to include and exclude, hedge-building to prevent social uncomfortableness. Yet, Mary Edna’s story gave me examples of how room had been made at the table for those who broke the rules, a way to redeem people and relationships by making room for more at the table. She might have been an old-testament girl at heart – wanting to live comfortable in the rules, but her actions bespoke a woman who offered a place of grace to those the law excluded.
I learned that while the law excludes, grace does not. Grace always makes room for one more at the table.
Amy’s book grandmother gave me talked about event living – not the everyday ordinary living. Yet, that is where the most important things happen – in the everyday ordinary.
Graduations might be celebrations of achievement, but they achieved because the graduate didn’t give up in the challenge of the everyday ordinary. Weddings might be extra-ordinary events, but falling in love happens in the everyday ordinary. Baby Showers and Birthing Days might be extra-ordinary events – but it is in the everyday ordinary where lives are shaped and hearts grow. Baptisms happen because of seeds were planted and watered in the everyday ordinary.
Making room at the table isn’t a Feast Day thing or an “event” thing like baby showers, graduation parties or even Friday Night Small Group Gatherings.
Making room at the table doesn’t mean more work, dressing nicer, minding the Ps and Qs. Making room at the table isn’t about showing ourselves off at our best. It’s about letting people come into our everyday ordinary – where the kitchen might be a mess, the laundry might need washing and folding, hand and nose print smudged all sorts of everywhere. That pile of shoes? The stinky soccer cleats someone left right by the door? Yeah! They’re there, too.
Perfect makes it too hard to live making room for one more at the table. God doesn’t call us to be perfect. He calls us to feed his lambs and sheep.
Making-Room-for-One-More-at-thetable-kind-ofliving isn’t just about filling bellies. It’s about filling souls.
34 years, 5 sons, 2 daughters-in-law, and 3 grandchildren later, what I learned around the table growing up was just a tiny seed planted that has become something so much more.
“Who do you think Paul is, anyway? Or Apollos, for that matter? Servants, both of us—servants who waited on you as you gradually learned to entrust your lives to our mutual Master. We each carried out our servant assignment. I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, but God made you grow. It’s not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving. You happen to be God’s field in which we are working.” ~ 1 Corinthians 3: 5-9
I just finished setting the table for my series, Feed My Sheep. Won’t you join me next week to find out who God has given each of us to feed?
Click below for the rest of the posts in this series:
Feed My Sheep Part I: When Kitchen Living Becomes God-Radical
Feed My Sheep Part II: Living a Lifestyle of Making Room at the Table for One More
Feed My Sheep Part III: Which Sheep are Mine to Feed
Feed My Sheep Part IV: How do I Feed All these Sheep? (When there’s Nothing in the Fridge)
Feed My Sheep Part V: When Blessing is Invited to the Table
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Loved this…
Thanks for stopping by! Glad you enjoyed!
Loved this so much and wholeheartedly agree! “Making room at the table isn’t about showing ourselves off at our best. It’s about letting people come into our everyday ordinary…” Blessings to you! I’m your neighbor at #TeaAndWord.
Thanks for stopping by Gayl! Wishing you Shalom in your week – and for spaces at the table filled up!
This reminds me of the post by Anita I just read, and Sue’s book Table Mentoring. Grace does leave room for one more and one more, you are right!
I just did a study of hospitality and discovered that it’s not about entertaining, but about doing just as you said here – making room for one more at the table. And the most beautiful thing is that it’s exactly what God did for each of us… I think it was Jesus who said… now go and do likewise! Thanks
Thanks for stopping by! Praying we both manage to fill the empty spaces at our tables this week!
I love that phrase and idea–“everyday ordinary”–because that truly is where the most beautiful things take root, grow and thrive, Maryleigh. As usual, you have moved me to consider things from a very warm and gracious place, even though I don’t get to physically sit at your table. Still you have room for so many here at your blog! Love it and you, my friend!
There’s always room for one more, Beth! So glad you stopped by! One day we will have a cup of coffee or tea – and sit long and talk much! Love you, too, friend! ~ Maryleigh
Oh you learned so many good lessons form others about hospitality and then applied them at your table. Letting others come to our imperfect tables is such a good way to let others into our lives and to form bonds with each other. It can be messy and hard, but so worth it.
I love this…”grace always makes room for one more.” We have found when we gather it opens to door to a deeper level of intimacy in the relationships. Great ideas. Stopping by from Grace and Truth link up.
Always so important to give what we have and love. That is true hospitality. Thank you for these beautiful examples of serving as Christ did.
Hello there Maryleigh. Thank you so much for your sweet message. It was a lovely surprise and sweet blessing. And what a great post this is… God has so worked in my heart on opening up our home to others. I read somewhere… hospitality isn’t about the size of your home (or how perfect it is) but about the size of your heart. And He has grown my heart to make room for people to gather. So much more I could say on this. Wish we could gather at a table together. That would be super lovely.
Much love,Beth
My grandmother used to say something similar. “It’s not about the room you have in your house, but about the room in your heart!” Thanks for sharing and for encouraging us to see it Jesus’ way. 🙂 Would love to join you!
What a beautiful family heritage, Maryleigh! I love this. This year one of my goals was to have more company. It’s been lovely.
Mmm… love this. So beautiful! God is stirring in my heart to make room for more, too. Blessings!
Our hearts are designed to love as many as we choose to – it’s like the bottomless Mary Poppin’s bag! Thanks for stopping by Liz! Wishing you God’s Shalom in your weekend!
My story is similar–when my parents divorced, my grandparents made more room at their table for me as well. I think God is telling me to invite people over more often in 2018 through your post. Blessings to you!
What stories we could tell of the impact of our grandparents, I bet! Did you know that a woman’s longevity is related to feeling/being needed? I believe that’s why my grandmother lived to be 94. What a beautiful 2018 you will have – making room for more at your table! Shalom, Sarah! ~ Maryleigh
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It sounds like you have a long history of “making room”, Maryleigh! What a wonderful witness!
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I love this! My grandparents were such good examples for me growing up. My grandfather loved to talk to people and invite them home for dinner. After they spent time with my grandparents, they often accompanied them to church. I can’t tell you how many people came to know Jesus through their example of making room at the table. Thank you for sharing.
Debbie, What a beautiful legacy they gave you! I love it!