We hosted our second annual Friendsgiving this weekend and gathered around the table (and the kitchen island) to celebrate with fourteen of our people. Beau smoked a turkey and a ham, I made stuffing and sweet potatoes, and everyone else provided the rest. As I have developed such a sincere love of the table the last couple of years, Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday for me to host. I love the details that go in to making it a pretty space for people to gather and feel welcomed and loved, the candles that provide the warmth and invitation to put the rest of life on hold for an hour or two and settle right in to the place in front of them, and the food that is prepared with intention and love. And not only do I get to host people around our Thanksgiving table once, but again on Thanksgiving day for our family. The table is set and will wait patiently to be filled again in just a few days.
I had the most fun setting the table Saturday morning, using only treasures I had around the house, except the acorns we picked on our last adventure to Hartman. Mila and I lit the candles a few times throughout the day and I loved that she was as mesmerized at the glow they created as I was. The kids had a pajama party at the Gabels, and only asked twenty times throughout the day when it would be time to go. We made the time go a little faster with a few board games around the island. And soon enough, one by one, couples made their way into our entry holding potholders and warmed dishes and hanging their coats on the rack. We are thankful for what God has done in our friendships this year. We are thankful that he has seen one of our friends through a devastating divorce and given him a second chance to love and share a life with someone. We are thankful for good health, new homes (in our neighborhood), and new business ventures. We are thankful for Katy's cinnamon pie, the fact that Brian always helps with the dishes, and Angie's extra forks when I didn't have enough to go around. And we are thankful that our kids are growing up seeing the importance of gathering, serving, and investing in others. And when it can involve good food, it doesn't get much better than that.
Happy Thanksgiving week, friends. Hoping you find the power of gathering around a table with the ones you love this week, to celebrate the bounty of a good Father who created us to live in community with others.
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts." (Colossians 3:15)
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