What’s so special about a kitchen table?

What does your kitchen table look like?

Is it big?,  Is it pine?, Is it square or round?.

Does it have a table cloth or flowers on it?

Why am I asking these (silly) questions you think?

Well, I want you to get a good picture about what your kitchen table really looks like. Now, I’m not talking about how stylish it is, or what color or size you wish it was. I’m not even talking about a DIY project.

The questions I ask you today are …… Is your table FULL of family and friends?, Is it full more times than it is empty?,  is it full of food and good fellowship?, what about laughter, meaningful talks, devotions and fun?.

Is your kitchen table making memories?

These thoughts came to me a while ago, as my whole family was eating dinner and truly going slow and enjoying our time together. It actually seemed like everything else around us was going a mile a minute, but the atmosphere around us at our kitchen table, was a slow tranquil moment.

All too often we see families living a rushed and frantic lifestyle.  Going here, and running there, grabbing food on the go, and not taking a moment to pause. Rushing from one place and activity to another,  watching weeks go past without setting some good quality family time to enjoy each other.

To me, togetherness is what family is all about!  Not letting distance and busyness come in like a wedge. God desires our families to be well knit. The bible talks about how beautiful it is when a family serves and fears the Lord all together.

In Psalm 128, it reads

 Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in his ways!
² You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

³ Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
    around your table.
⁴ Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the Lord.

Over here, in our household, we set aside one night a week specifically geared towards family time. This is our night to go extra slow at dinner, take a family walk, and enjoy family devotions and worship. It’s time with my family that I would never give up.

Though we have other times throughout our week that we gather together, we make sure that one whole night is saved for family time. It’s an the calender!

You may not have the space or the layout to have your family gather around a kitchen table, but I know that each household an area where you can designate as a special, uninterrupted family time.

Here are some simple things you can do to make sure your family spends quality time together:

• Eat dinner together
• Set a time in the week JUST for your family. Even put it on the calender – It’s the most important appointment you’ll have.
• Think of ways you can serve as a family in your church and in your community.
• Gather everyone for devotions before bed.
• Make a special treat or dessert that your family can enjoy with tea or coffee together at the table.
• Play a game together!  (This is a fun one)
• Sing together

What’s so special about your kitchen table?