Sunday afternoons at my house are reserved for having lunch with others. I make sure to spend it sharing a meal with someone … usually my fiancé Michael.
And that works out perfectly for us, because we just don’t see each other that often. Our work schedules are completely opposite and our Wednesday and Sunday nights are booked with church activities. He works on Saturdays while I use that day to play catch-up.
Since we got engaged last May, I think Michael and I assumed that after April 21, our wedding day, we would see each other more that we do now. We were under the impression that once we were living under the same roof, it would mean we had more time for each other.
But here we are, 39 days from our wedding, and we’re starting to realize our work schedules won’t change. And just because we will be living under the same roof, we’ll still have to intentionally carve out time for each other.
We could see a movie or go shopping at the mall on our Sunday afternoons. However, I think we’ll continue with out lunch dates. There’s just something special about sitting together, sharing food and talking about life. The Bible records Jesus eating meals with his disciples, as well as groups eating together to fellowship and remember Jesus.
And they were devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.” Acts 2:42
Not only are we fulfilling our physical need for food, but also spiritual and emotional needs through having good conversations while we eat. Sometimes our meals last 30 minutes, and sometimes Michael and I sit at the table for hours. Sometimes we talk about what’s going on with the youth group we lead, and sometimes we talk about the wedding. Sometimes we go out to eat and other times I cook at home. Often we laugh and pray, and sometimes we cry over peanut butter pie. But no matter what, we get to know each other better.
Many families today, including my own, are lucky if they see each other more than an hour or two a week, let alone eat a meal together. Families are becoming more disconnected. They don’t know each other due to the busyness of life.
I don’t want Michael and I to have a roommate relationship but a growing marriage relationship. It will take work to make our schedules align at meal times, but I don’t want to miss out on the blessings God has for us at our kitchen table.
