Plenty of Room

My Austin family recently moved into their new home. With the new home, they made a huge change in their home décor and furniture. They gave away or sold all the furnishings they had for many years. They went from ultra-Country French furnishings to ultra contemporary and modern. It is beautiful with clean lines, no cluttered countertops and cabinets, and lots of abstract art pieces throughout.

The dining tables throughout don’t have leaves. No need for leaves because the dining tables are big enough to accommodate all of us at the table – in the kitchen, the dining room, and the patio. This photo is of the patio table at Easter. Fabulous!

Those tables are magnificent, but this day I’m remembering the table extensions called “leaves” that they once had and so did I. I sold my big dining room table with the two-leaves when I moved to Austin.

I remember as a young child, my mom adding the leaves to the table to accommodate my big brother and his growing family and my sister and her family. Around that table, was laughter, celebration, and conversation.

I remember at that table was a prayer of thanksgiving for the meal we were about to eat. There was family laughter when an old story was told about one of us. But what I remember most, was that there was always room at that table for one more of our friends and family.

Then I was a mom and grandmother. I remember adding the leaves to my table and the piano bench and fold up chairs for additional guests at our table for a meal and for Bible studies. Now, I don’t have leaves at my table. I have a small table for four and bar stools for three. And, if more room is needed, guests will eat from my sofa or extra chairs in the room. There is always room for one more!

I wonder if we are making enough space for people in our lives these days. What’s more, I wonder if we are making enough space for others in other areas of our lives like in our churches, our small groups, our circle of friends. I wonder if we are always making room for more or simply saying, “us four and no more”.

How good does it make us feel when we come in late and the table is full — yet someone says: “Come and join us. We can squeeze in another chair. There’s always room for one more!”

What would happen if we had that kind of crazy open-table accomodation all the time? To seek out those who look, act, and think differently than we do. To implore those who are anything but fine and to care for them with the hands and feet of Jesus.

What if we continued to make space at the table? That is one table where I need to be at. The one that keeps growing and including, adding leaves and mismatched chairs. I want to be the one who scoots over and then scoots over again to make room. I want to be at the table that is in the main business of making space.

We are the body of Christ — made up of all our different, broken, and mended parts. Not only do we need each other, we are made far better by being together. And when we make space for one another, we may just find a lot more room for God Himself to join us at THE TABLE!