Abi's Lent: Day Six

Table time ... such a challenge with three young boys and a broken mother. I am totally willing to own every crude manner and lack of social graces my boys have because, well, I just haven't been a very good teacher ... of social graces, that is. I am a very good teacher of many other things, and we won't go into belching championships, or anything like that -- at least not today!

But I just love what Scot has to say in chapter four about Jesus and Table Time ... and, yes, it totally took me back to The Shack and the fabulous Table Time there with Papa and Jesus and Sarayu.

The important thing to remember is that Jesus invites us to Papa's table -- and not just those with clean hands and proper manners, either. Because being at their table makes us clean ... the presence of Jesus sanctifies us. He invites us to the table for our benefit, not his. So that we can be fed and healed.

How is it that we get so many things backwards? Not that clean hands and good manners are not good things, because they are. But their lack is not supposed to disqualify us from joining in and being loved.

Clean hands ... another qualifier for being worthy of God's love? Sigh....

Scot talks about Jesus creating an alternative reality with his table time. The Shack gives very vivid pictures of what he's talking about, at least for me. And the message is loud and clear:

Papa loves you so that you can learn to love him enough that you can love yourself and, in turn, love others. There is no more powerful place for this lesson that at the table. Your table at home and The Lord's Table ... and I'll have to unpack that one when I have a bit more time.

...running to pick up my boys. Sure do love those boys somethin' awful. May not be the best mannered, but you would be hard pressed to find better loved boys.

Leaning on Papa.