Plenty of Room at the Table — We Have Leaves!

Ever wonder why the extensions on a table are called “leaves”?
I wondered that last week when my sis and I were selling three tables with leaves at our estate sale. We wondered “Why do they call them ‘leaves’?

My word for today is “leaves” — and I had to do some searching to find the origin. My conclusion is because originally, the first “leaved” tables had a hinged section on the end or ends that could hang down (pictured here), and it’s similar to a leaf of a book (pages have been called leaves for a very long time) and because, with a tree, leaves are considered the middle section. When they started putting detachable expansion sections in the middle of tables, they still called them leaves. So there you go, now you and I both know. You’re welcome.

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. And around that table, was laughter, celebration and conversation. I remember at that table, when I was about 8 years old that I called my brother a “queer” (a word that I had heard often at school) and he corrected me and said to never call anyone a “queer” again. Funny, how some things come back to our memory. What I remember most, was that there was always room at that table for friends and family.

Then I was a mom and grandmother and I remember adding the leaves to my table and the piano bench and fold up chairs for additional guests at our table and for Bible studies, and then as a single, in my small home, I still make sure to have my leaves ready to add for my family and small groups.

I wonder if we are making enough space at our tables these days. What’s more, I wonder if we are making enough space for others in other areas of our lives: 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 “Oh, 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 obedience 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!