Family Dinner- Two Roses and a Thorn

I love our tradition of Sunday family dinners. We started this weekly routine when my mom retired and moved close to us. We never know who will show for family dinner. Sometimes it is just Rob and I with the twins, other times grandparents will show, adult children, and friends. We also make extra food, just in case our family of four expands (I think our record to date is 12!) Attendance is often dictated by the menu offering of the day. Today was salmon and couscous. We start every meal with prayer and on Sundays, we also go around the table and share two roses and a thorn for the week. When we have “guests” they are often warned so they can plan and prepare their response and are not blindsided! My favorite time of sharing is when it becomes evident that we have more roses than thorns to share. Many weeks, our roses are shared roses and by the time we are done, what seemed like a monumental thorn is oftentimes overshadowed by the roses we share.

As we sat in church service today, our Pastor reminded us that we can keep the Christmas season alive. Kindness and bringing others joy does not have to end with Christmas. This remained at the forefront of my mind as I listened to our roses for the week. Every one of us shared that our time together on vacation has been a rose. Special time shared with family, extended family and friends brought each of us joy. I realized, in that moment, that this simple tradition of weekly family dinner is how we keep the Christmas season alive amongst our family. We continue to share the joys, to uplift each other when we share our thorns, and to enjoy a home cooked meal together with intentional time together with no technology and distractions.

I don't usually reference the Message version of the Bible, but it seemed fitting today. “God’s kingdom isn’t a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness’ sake. It’s what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ….Help others with encouraging words; don’t drag them down by finding fault…When you sit down to a mea, your primary concern should not be to feed your face but to share the life of Jesus” (Romans 14:17-21, The Message).

Today, I pray that you find time and sit down to a family meal this week. As the Christmas season passes and we look forward to the New Year, reflect on the joys of the season and how you can keep the joys of the season alive throughout the upcoming year. I pray that when you encounter those thorns in your week, which we all will, that you share in the joys of your roses and that they overshadow the sadness of your thorns. I pray that you take the time to not only “feed your face”, but to always “share the life of Jesus”.