Now, it wasn’t exactly a picnic, though there was picnic type food there: some things cooked on the grill, potato salad, potato chips and of course, desserts. Unfortunately I was too busy talking and never made it back to the table with all the desserts. Oh well! I guess I will just have to start there next time. The event I am talking about was our Back to School Sunday and the meal we had afterwards. It was a good time for all, though everyone was a little sad as the “froyo” truck pulled away.
Though the food is important, and we will come back to that, there is so much more that goes on during the meal. I sat at more than one table, and no it wasn’t just because everyone at the one table I was sitting at got up and left. I sat at different tables to visit with different people. Some who I usually only say “hi” to as we come and go from services, but this allowed me to sit and visit more. The sitting was another great aspect of this. Just to take a load off your feet as you relax with friends and the church family. A lot of good things can come by sitting around a table.
Back to the food and the desserts that I missed—no, I won’t dwell on them—but when it comes to food, we must have it to sustain our bodies. Some foods we like better, for me as you can tell, it is desserts. Other foods, say vegetables, I am generous and allow others to have them in my place. Regardless of the type of food, it is necessary for us to eat. Interesting how eating makes us pause during our day. Do you think that was all a part of God’s plan for us? A time or two during the day where we have to pause from our work to sit and eat.
A serendipity of this pausing to eat is the visiting that usually goes along with it. It could be at a picnic, maybe a fast food restaurant, a nicer restaurant or around a kitchen table. Maybe it is with co-workers, some friends, or family; but, it is a time to slow down for a minute, take in the food that sustains us, and visit. You catch up on the day’s activities, see what is new in someone’s life or just talk about the Lions’ chances of winning the Super Bowl this year. Ok, maybe not the last one. But we often do connect with others as we sit around a table together.
For those who can make it, a time to connect around food will be starting back up in the next couple of weeks. Tony and Sheryl are again going to organize what they call SIMPLE SUPPER: a time to sit, eat and connect before our Wednesday night class. But, this avenue to connect doesn’t have to be limited to just before class on a Wednesday night. Have someone over for a simple meal, plan to brown bag it and meet at a park with someone, or meet at a restaurant you enjoy. You could also have someone over for dessert, just a thought. Not everyone can make the “Simple Supper,” but we do all have to eat.
The most important aspect of all of this isn’t the food, though food is necessary for sustaining life. The most important aspect of this is to sit, to relax, and to connect with each other. Life is busy as we run from one event to another, sometimes eating on the run. Try to find the time with a friend, someone from church, or maybe it’s your own family you need to connect with. Just sit down, take a breath, relax, and enjoy a meal together—you might find the time together life sustaining.
Enjoying food, visiting and desserts,
Randy
Comments