Lavished In Grace

One thing we do less and less is taking the time to gather around the table with the ones we love. We are all so “busy” that we don’t bother to do the one thing that brings us together physically and emotionally. We sit in front of the TV and watch our favorite shows, we drive to soccer practice, school activities, meetings, well you get the point… and we scarf down that greasy cheeseburger from the local drive-through and then go on to the next activity without stopping to enjoy the small things that really matter most. It saddens me, because I am guilty of this.

I’ve recently been reading Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist, which happens to be my favorite book. This book has really opened my eyes and my heart to what real friendships, and relationships are all about. She is absolutely an incredible author who speaks, truth, wisdom and humor in her books. I recommend all of her books, but this one especially.

Just this past Friday, my group of girl-friends got together at Meaghan’s house for dinner. Some of us brought wine, while others brought the desert, which I might add were absolutely divine! Strawberries are my favorite!   While Meaghan made her famous vegetarian spaghetti; our children ran ramped through the house with lots thumping of little feet and giggling. We gathered around her dining room table and laughed and joked, we talked about our kids and our husbands and what we wanted to see happen in the future. It was pure bliss to be sitting at this table with my friends, it was so easy to just soak it all in, and at the end of the night I was full; full of life and love.

 One of my favorite quotes from this book is “When we do the hard, intimate work of friendship, we bring a little more of the divine into daily life”. How true is that? When you have friends that are more like sisters who you can share your joys, pains, triumphs and failures with, life seems to be a little sweeter.