At the Table

At the Table

While in China teaching, my husband Dave and I had many opportunities to sit at elaborately furnished round tables with abundant (although sometimes unrecognizable to the Western eye) dishes circling their centers. During this time the Lord began to speak to me about how many of life’s experiences and lessons occur at the table. I had already written “The Little Table” and several other stories, but one particular incident gave me the inspiration to write the series At the Table. One student’s parents had invited us to spend a day touring the countryside with them. As we were eating lunch, Dave noticed that several people were in need of water refills and being the servant that he is, began to meet the need. Immediately there were cries of what we assumed protest since we didn’t know that much Mandarin. Apparently guests never wait on others in Chinese culture—something we never really thought about in the States. At that moment I began to realize that we were at “The Wrong Table.” Although we definitely knew God had called us to China for that year, I could sense that our time was quickly coming to an end and there were other tables at which to sit, set, and serve. Ideas began swimming in my head about the various types of tables in our lives and their significance to our character development.

In addition I thought about the many references in Scripture to tables and their application to our Christian walk. In Psalm 23: 5 David says, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;” (NASB). Never before China had I an enemy that gave me occasion to truly experience this verse. Futhermore Wisdom personified in Proverbs 9:1-2 also provides a table, “Wisdom has build her house, she has hewn out her seven pillars; She has slaughtered her meat, She has mixed her wine, She has also furnished her table” (NASB). Much wisdom can be obtained while sitting at the table sharing life or serving others. However just as we cannot forever sit at a physical table without causing harm to our bodies, we cannot sit spiritually without hindering the Kingdom work. The human body needs exercise, and the soul needs to fulfill the calling of the Spirit. The old song “My House Is Full, but My Fields Are Empty, “ succinctly describes this fact:

My House Is Full, But My Fields Are Empty

There is peace and contentment in my Father's house today,
Lots of food on His table and no one turned away.
There is singing and laughter as the hours pass by,
But a hush calms the singing as the Father sadly cries,

My house is full, but my field is empty,
Who will go and work for Me today.
It seems my children want to stay around my table,
But no one wants to work my fields,
No one wants to work my fields.

Push away from the table.
Look out through the windowpane,
Just beyond the house of plenty
Lies a field of golden grain.
And it's ripe unto harvest,
But the reapers, where are they?
In the house,
Oh, can't the children hear
the Father sadly say,

My house is full, but my field is empty,
Who will go and work for Me today.
It seems my children want to stay around my table,
But no one wants to work my fields,
No one wants to work my fields. 

http://boothbrothers.com/song/my-house-is-full-but-my-field-is-empty/

So many tables fill our lives, but first we must look at the beginning table to see how our lives are formed for partaking in the most important meal of all, The Lord’s Supper that then leads us to “push away from the table” and go to the fields to invite others.