Who Is at Your Table?

Over these last many weeks amidst the hustle, bustle and sometimes stressful aspects of this season, my heart has been stopped in its tracks by the sheer beauty of deep, authentic friendships. ?The kind of friendships where the filters are removed completely, and all pretenses are dropped at the door.? The kind of friendships that allow you to sit comfortably in the happy silence of one another’s presence without any awkwardness…except you can’t because you are belly laughing so hard that you actually cry real tears.? ?I hope you know the ones.? They have been forged over years of highs, lows, illness, loss, births, deaths, epiphanies and everything in between.?

I am convinced that making real space for these kinds of relationships is - aside from our personal faith journey - singularly essential to our emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Said another way, they are REALLY important.? We all need them to be our best and to bring our best every single day.

And yet…despite our being so technically connected, the collective state of mental health and feelings of disconnectedness remains on the rise. Which has me thinking… this is the perfect time of year to reflect on who is at our metaphorical table. Why are they here? How did they come to be here?

If you are lucky, your table is diverse and maybe even a little messy. Plenty opinionated but even more abounding in grace toward one another. ?As I reflect on the gift of my own tablemates, we are most certainly divided over some topics but unified in our commitment to doing real life together in a completely unfiltered way,

Diverse, yet unified. That is friendship. It is not perfect. It is not hiding our faults, beliefs or opinions.? It is loving, which is the only way.

One of my favorite theological boyfriends from the first century reminds us well, “A friend loves at all times.”? ?All times includes ALL TIMES. When we are right. When we are wrong. When we are opinionated, quiet, loud, offensive, rude, uneducated on any number of topics, and even when we cannot be physically present with one another.

So as you frantically wrap those last few gifts and try with all your might to bring some of those big work deliverables to a safe landing place, please also be kind to yourself. Make intentional space for stress reducing, loneliness combatting, resiliency building table time with your tribe.? It will help to cure what ails you, fill your cup and send you back out into the world an even better and more vibrant version of you.

Happy Holidays and may all your tables be merry & bright!