setting the table..

 

Here's an spiritual homemaking "reminder" I came across recently and thought others like myself may want to read about.

My attitude about the responsibility to train up, nurture and provide for our children's physical;mental; emotional needs is normally positive. But how often have I begrudgingly voiced the unfairness about "my job" never stopping..to the point of tears and bitterness. Now let's add the most important part of child rearing..spirituality.

To teach and introduce them to Christ Jesus would in my minds eye be the "deal breaker".

A relationship with HIM is something that should be above all else most important. 

When I think of it this way I'm usually motivated to seek the encouragement I need to be able to teach and perform again.  Here's what did it this time.

"I received an invitation to a feast being given by a royal family .Having heard that this family served food of such life-giving value and that those who partook might live forever, I was most anxious to attend.

Upon the feast day, I entered the banquet hall and mingled with the many who were present. Beheld was a great table spread with white linen and laden with wonderful and delicious dishes. It stood in the center of the house, and people were seating themselves around it as they came in.

Among the crowd of people present were a large number of children of all ages ..some were very small and some were almost grown. But, to my astonishment, I noticed that no children were seated a the table."

"Surely the children need food also, I thought." But perhaps their portion of the food needs a different preparation, and besides they would be more comfortable at a child sized table.

I looked for the places where the children were being served, but I could not find them. The grown people were continually seating themselves in preparation for partaking for the feast, but no one seemed concerned about making a place for the children."

The story goes on to ask the older wiser ones; parents and other partakers if they would help..and all had some excuse or another..then it explains the children started to wonder off and get unhealthy foods from other sources.

Feast days came and went, and the family continued to attend the feasts, but it came to be that there were almost no children among them. And one day the Head of the family, who had been observing what was happening all along asked:

"Where are the children of the family?"   

The people looked around them and could not answer the Head of the family, for they had not paid attention to the welfare of the children.

"Didn't you remember that I loved the children especially?" asked the Head of the family .

"I thought you would count it a joy to take care of them."

But the people did not answer, for they knew in their hearts they had not counted the children a joy. Rather then answer the Head of the family, they looked at their plates in silence.

But lo! They then perceived that the fine food that had been always so graciously provided for them by the Head of the family was as dust and ashes in their mouths, for the life-giving food served at His table could benefit no person who partook without first sharing it with others especially their own children."

HE needs me to consider their needs and be willing to serve in this capacity whether in our communities; schools; churches  and most importantly in my home.

The desire to seek forgiveness and reform  my past attitude "like those in the story" has been so strong and while I know that there's nothing I can do about the "past meals"...there's much I can do for the future ones.

So I'm gonna "lay it down"  and set the table right these days.