Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Dear God,

Years ago on a retreat, a vision of my grandmother's old mahogany dining room table came to me.  For the next hour, I thought about that table that exuded welcome and hospitality.  I remembered the decades of family reunions and dinners, of laughter, teasing and joy.  At that table we shared stories, memories and delicious homemade cooking.  Everyone was included, accepted and loved.  When we adjourned to the living room or bid goodbye for our various homes, we carried more than good food in our bellies.

Grandma's table still feeds my soul these many decades later.  I think of it and I am warmed and hopeful.  I feel connected and loved.  I gather the messages I learned at that table, messages of gratitude, faith and challenges to love and serve, forgive and heal and be a light and shine brightly for those especially living in the darkness.  I realize more and more these were exceptional gifts given and shared.

In dark, difficult times we need to recall all those who invited us, fed us and cared for us at their tables.  We need to give thanks because they taught us about what it means to have a table, be a table and share a table.  But not only that, we need to envision all those who accepted an invitation to our table, who blessed us in return with love, joy and peace.  Oh, the stories those tables could tell.

Right now, we are living in hard times.  People in our own states, nation and world are facing painful, frightening and threatening conditions.  It is easy to fall into despair, rage and violence.  But we cannot, must not.  As we do what we can where we are with others, we can take a lesson from the table to sustain, comfort and help us.  We need to stay rooted and grounded in that which is far greater than ourselves.  There is One who welcomes us to a table where all are invited not denied, loved not rejected and comforted not demeaned, hurt or belittled. 

These horrific times may last a long time and so we must prepare ourselves, energize ourselves and dig deeply into our faith so we do not collapse under the weight of abuse, neglect and fear.  Even now we can absorb and breathe and strengthen ourselves with that which we received from those tables for the living of these days.  Only with you, God, can we stand, serve and help all who need us.

You are God;

there is none

like you.

We ask

for your help

to lift us up,

make us

stand strong,

give us power

to overcome

the evils

of this world.

Thank you

for all

who gave us

nourishment, love

courage, guidance

and strength.

Make our tables

tables of mercy,

kindness, hope,

peace and power.

We thank you

for your table,

Lord, 

the example

of what 

our tables

are to be.

Make it so,

we pray.

Love, Andrea