A Seat At The Table

I had a little toddler over for lunch.
He came with his mother and his baby brother.
His mother is a college friend of my daughter, who is the mother of our granddaughter.
It was such a delight to have these young moms and their children at my table.

The little boy is almost two and a half years old.
I knew the kind of toys to get out for him.
I couldn’t wait to see how my granddaughter and the little boy might play together.
At this age, they engage in parallel play, which is simply playing alongside.

My daughter and granddaughter arrived first.
Soon after they arrived, the front doorbell rang.
In walked this precocious little boy.
He immediately took off his shoes and left them on the large braided rug by the door.

He said, hello, and seemed very interested in the toys I got out for him.
My granddaughter looked at him with recollection.
The whole group of college friends had just celebrated Friends-giving at my daughter’s house.
My granddaughter recognized this little boy who was now at her Grandma’s house.

I watched her follow the little boy.
I watched the little boy follow her.
I watched them play next to each other.
I watched them learn to share.

It always warms my heart when young moms enjoy coming to our home.
This young mom has spent time here when my daughter lived at home.
I have watched her grow into a confident young woman.
I told her over and over what a good job she is doing with her boys.

After catching up a bit, I went into the kitchen to get lunch ready.
I had already prepared it in the morning.
It just needed to go into the oven.
While it was baking, I set the table.

My husband and I eat at the island in the kitchen.
The chairs at the island are much too high for a little toddler.
The table would be far safer.
The high chair was ready for my granddaughter.

The little boy was intrigued with my Thanksgiving place mats.
I got out the wipe-able kind, since toddlers and spills are bound to happen.
The little boy sat next to his mother.
My daughter sat at the end of our long farm table next to the high chair.

I sat across the table from the little boy and his mother.
He began to eat but kept looking at the toys on the floor.
I talked to him while his mother and my daughter talked about motherhood things.
All at once, he pushed his place mat away.

I watched his mother as she was going to correct him.
He was not pushing it away.
He was pushing it towards something.
He was pushing it towards me.

He got up from his chair and walked to the chair next to me.
I turned his place mat around with a little look towards his mom.
Do you want to sit next to Mama G? His mom asked him.
Mama G is what most of the friends of my children call me.

He was smiling from ear to ear.
He pulled out the chair next to me.
He climbed up onto the cane seat.
He looked at me and smiled.

I am so glad you are sitting next to me, I told him and meant it.
We can have our lunch together, I said.
Yeah! He said excitedly.
He gave me a big smile with a mouth full of peanut butter and jelly.

When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Luke 14:7-11)

I had the best seat in the house.
A little boy chose to sit next to me.
What a privilege it was to be chosen by this little boy.
I didn’t deserve it, it wasn’t planned; it just happened.

Do you know how important it is to have room at the table?
Do you know how important it is to be open to the person God puts beside you?
Do you know how important it is to be unimportant?
The best seat in the house was not a place of position but rather a place of sharing.

A little boy chose to sit next to me.
We talked, toddler to grownup, and ate our lunch.
I lingered far longer at the table than he.
The toys were calling.

What a privilege it is to be chosen by a little boy.
How lovely to see his place mat being pushed towards me.
Is there someone you can push your place mat towards?
You just might make their day.

 

2 responses to “A Seat At The Table”

1. So glad you don’t just love children but that in their relationship with you they are also pointed to Christ. May it bear much fruit for the kingdom in His timing

   Reply

   • Paula,
     What a lovely thing to say!
     Yes, that is the hope of my heart.
     Gina

     Reply