Reflecting on last year’s Thanksgiving dinner… I’ll be honest, I think my intentions going into the event were 1/2 prideful and 1/2 serving. I was so excited to HOST my first Thanksgiving and I wanted to do it ALL. I wanted to make all the stuff and be this warm and delightful host– the do-it-all mom.
As we were setting the table before everyone arrived, I watched my husband dance around to worship music, spinning our daughter and getting her to help set plates and spoons in the (somewhat) right places.
My inner hostess-with-the-mostess screamed “HURRY, there’s no time for dancing!” But my heart slowly caught up to the beauty unfolding before me.
Their mini worship session set a spiritual stage for the rest of the day, and I felt the transaction in the air as tangible as Iowa humidity in June. I slowed down, took a few deep breaths and decided joining them was better than chasing last minute dust bunnies.
We crammed 10 people into our office / toy room and shared a turkey and all of the fixings. The day was messy and cramped…but full of the good feels you can’t put into words. It was a Thanksgiving I’ll never forget.
I stumbled on this quote from Shauna Niequst last week:
and as I prepare for this year’s Thanksgiving feast I haven’t been able to stop pondering her words. What a beautiful truth– what a Kingdom-minded view of hospitality.
As we move into this holiday week, may we make our homes spaces that bless, not impress. May we place more energy and investment in the people around us than the space that shelters us and food that fills us. And may we host out of the Father’s abundant, perfect and hospitable love– praying over our living rooms and dining rooms and asking the Holy Spirit to come and bless all who pull up a seat at our tables.
