Around Our Table - Part 1

So, real-life friends and long-time readers know full-well that I'm a bit...how shall we put this...nostalgic (I much prefer this to the other word that comes to mind...neurotic).  Ah, yes.  Sentimental Journey just might be my lifesong.  Case in point?

Well, there was the blog entry I wrote about our dinner plates.
Or the ode to our washing machine when it died.
Or the grief experienced upon our stove's untimely demise.

In fact, if you've spent any amount of time here at all, you've found that God teaches me a whole lot through the ordinary stuff of life, whether it be appliances or aprons or little boy costumes.  My heart and longing is not to live in the past, but to learn and grow from it.  I often reflect on the instructions God gave Joshua and the Israelites after they'd passed over the Jordan on dry ground (Joshua 4).  He told them to pile 12 stones as a memorial.  When their children asked in days to come, "What do these stones mean?" they were to tell them what God had done for them.  The stones were to serve as a memorial and a reminder of God's faithfulness forever.  You see, when we acknowledge and celebrate God's gracious hand in the past, it gives us courage for the future.

So while I am perhaps a bit quirky with my sentimentality, my purpose is always to point back and remember God's grace: how He provided, how He carried us through that particular season, how he lavished us with His love throughout that unique time in our family's history.

"The act of remembering...brings to the forefront of the mind the reality and faithfulness of God; forgetfulness is tantamount to disobedience, for the self and human concerns have pushed into the background of the mind the reality and claims of God." ~ Peter Craigie

With that background, you may better understand the thoughts that swirled around in my mind as I lay in bed last night.  You know, thoughts like most women have while trying to drift off to sleep:  thoughts of our dining room table.   Um...well, like I said, you might understand.  Afterall, the timing of this one was odd and unusual, even for me.  Yes, our dining room table came to mind and at once my heart started overflowing with joy and thanksgiving.

***To be continued....read Part 2 [here]