On one of my loves...the table.

Show up anyway; no plan needed. Simply come to the table.

I LOVE to bring people to my table; seriously, no matter what. I love it so much I can feel selfish creating gatherings. While I can easily geek out over a menu, it’s never about the food. It’s about sharing the common intimacy of breaking bread together. Regardless of the history, sharing a meal breaks down barriers we didn’t know existed and forages lasting connections. It allows us to share in each other’s strengths, weakness, victories, setbacks, all the things with love and compassion. We’ve heard the expression you can’t outgive God; I agree. I feel that same way when people come to my table. What I bring to them pales in light of the life they pour into me when we’re around the table. I’m learning to be more intentional about extending the invitation long before I have any sort of plan. If I can find the window on the calendar, the invitation is sent! I’m finding this is the best plan. Life is full and hard and busy and slow and hectic and beautiful. Schedules are fluid and can be tough. I have to trust that just the ones that need to be there will be. I have to say yes to moments of ‘gathered uncertainty’ not because I know exactly how it will all play out but because I want His handprint all over it and me. I have recently started hosting a lunch around my table for gals called Sacred Spaces. No agenda except to hopefully provide a forum for nourishment, body and soul. Each time, I offer one question to the group. Regardless of whether or not anyone knows each other at the start, common bonds begin to form as each take their turn to answer. My question to the table at the last Sacred Spaces was this, “What is stretching you right now?” Listening to each one’s response spoke to me at a soul level. I can say sitting still and seeking to listen over staying busy ‘doing’ is definitely something that is stretching me right now. Allowing things to be undone and not trying to ‘fix it all’ is stretching me, painfully so. I want to be a student of sharing this journey with others. I want to stay a student at my table; it’s so loving and humbling. Simply, I want to show up. 

So maybe you need that nudge to start gathering people around your table and sharing life. Let’s do this! I can also happily share how I organized it to make it doable with everything else going on in my world. I would love to hear all your stories. Much love to you! 

Here’s the invitation I threw out:

Hi precious friend! God has been stirring an idea in my heart that I’m ready to explore with Him. Creating a space for authenticity, community, sharing, listening, and breaking bread...a place to simply show up and be surrounded in love; no prerequisites, a ministry of presence. I would love to invite you to the first Sacred Spaces gathering around my table, (insert date and time) Only requirement is that you come hungry. Come on your lunch break or in sweats with highly flammable hair because of too much dry shampoo, just come. I know schedules can be crazy and if you can’t make this one, there will others. If you can let me know if you can make it by (insert date), that would be awesome! Much love to you and yours! Amanda

Photo Cred: Corie Williams