“I’m going home, to the place where I belong. Where your love has always been enough for me” – Chris Daughtry
Much of my preparation for the upcoming “Group Link” event has centered around the kitchen table. Since we are focusing our attention to family and community, it would only seem appropriate that this is where we spend our time. After all, isn’t that where most major family events, decisions, stories and memories begin and end?
I was thinking this week about some family events over the years that have happened around that object. Here’s just a few –
- It’s where we learned our manners, how to say grace and be thankful.
- It’s heard broken hearts, childhood dreams and relocation plans.
- It’s held cards, board games and puzzle pieces.
- It’s where I asked for my father in-laws blessing (over tomato soup) for his daughters hand in marriage.
- It is where the baby entertains us all
- It’s where the kids tell about their day, dad decompresses from his and mom is glad “help has arrived”.
- It’s where dreams are shared, discussed and launched.
I have heard it said that the biggest selling feature of most homes is the kitchen. That’s no coincidence. It’s where friends share a meal and families share the journey. So how about you? If those 4 table legs could speak, what stories would they tell?
Being in the kitchen is like being in a good community-building small group. Its where life happens. All our major events growing up happened in the kitchen. The good and bad news-kitchen. Fights-kitchen. Parties-kitchen. Parent/child “conferences”-kitchen. You get the idea.
This post sure made memories flood my mind. I wonder how many times our family meals turned into much laughter? That’s what I remember most because my brother was one funny dude. lol He could even make my Dad laugh almost uncontrollably. Good times!
Thanks for this post.
A lovely post it is.
Kitchen means a lot. Every morning, my family share a joyful breakfast in the kitchen. Then, each one leaves, then each one goes home, straight to the kitchen.
Thanks for posting this. It touches my heart.
Thanks.. i like visiting
God bless you
Maria in the UK
http://www.inhishands.co.uk
In our home the kitchen table has…
– brought about discussions of our dreams.
– prayed over big decisions
– shed tears together
– laughed until we hurt
– comforted others
– opened God’s Word together
– and strengthened relationships
I smiled reading this… there are so many memeories from around the kitchen table; everything you mentioned.
Part of our ministry has always been having an open door and kitchen table, 24/7.
We feed people there, love them, counsel them, laugh with them, cry with them, study the word together, discuss some pretty deep issues, and are ministered to around it ourselves ( it always goes both ways! )
It has been a gathering place for our family, both natural and spiritual our entire christian lives, and I love it!
Thanks for some good memories Aaron!
May the Lord bless you with many, many good times, and God times, around your table!
Susan
Hmmmm, this has got me thinking about moving our dinner to the table instead of in the livingroom and watching tv..
What an awesome post! You are a man after my own heart. I bought a kithchen table, almost 30 years ago, while stationed in South Dakota. This table was used when I purchased it. My wife and I raised our 3 children around that table….when we bought a new table….I insisted on keeping the old one. Like you said, “If only that table could talk….” Well, that table does talk to me. I keep it in my office and when I sit down I imagine those precious littles ones and the fond memories we have exprienced around that table. We always had at least one meal per day as a family around the kitchen table. And so many dear friends and family that have gathered at that table…some are gone….and we have only those precious memories. Nope, I’m not getting rid of that old kitchen table. Thanks again for the post!
Great thoughts. One of my priorities is to eat dinner together–whether it’s at 4:30 in the afternoon or 8 at night–it’s fit into our schedules. My boys and I have had the best conversations, wonderful fits of laughter, and some great love thrown around the table. The kitchen always seems to be the place where, when I’m making dinner or just cleaning up, the boys will walk up, put their arms around me and tell me they love me. When we have friends over, the kitchen is the place to be and many meals have turned into all night fun right in the kitchen! thanks for the post–great reminder that most of the time it’s the everyday things that have the greatest impact!
All – Thanks for the responses. I am amazed by the response, but not the heart warming memories that each of you shared. Clearly, there is something special about the kitchen table and what it means to the family. Just reading through each of your comments brings me back to those days growing up around our kitchen table and the ones we share today with our children. As Susan so perfectly said may we all have “many good times, and God times” around our tables!
Good stuff Aaron. I can’t wait till groupLink. May the kitchen-table revolution continue to expand.