The Perfect Fit

Seating for 14! Let the table setting begin!

It was Tuesday before I realized what I had done.  Fortunately, I cancelled every appointment scheduled, in order to prepare for Thanksgiving. I awoke to a to-do list which equaled the depth of my laundry pile.  After an unsuccessful quiet time, wherein I supposedly focused on the Lord to find peace, I apologized to Jesus, poured myself a cup of tea and looked around my home.  The entire house was catawampus. The bible verse "Jesus wept" sprang immediately to mind as I surveyed the destruction.  Congratulating myself for being so spiritually minded, I walked into my dining area.

The space is about 10’ ½ by 9’ ½ , walled with 2 entrance points.  It was constructed long before the “open concept” kitchen was born.  I loved the room, but that morning as I wrote down the names of my guests, I wondered how everyone was going to fit.  Fourteen people needed to sit at the table.  Mine sat eight.  I needed seating for six more.  Looking around my dining room, I wondered how to pull this off.  I chewed my pencil.  “Jesus wept,” My subconscious quoted.  I rebuked myself.  I looked at the list.  I was missing something.  I reviewed the names again, when it dawned on me.  Half of my dinner guests were 6’ or taller.  “Jesus is weeping,” my subconscious quoted, changing the form in order to make scripture more applicable.  I groaned, stood up and called my girls for a family meeting.

I explained the challenge before us.  We sipped our tea, brain stormed and prayed.  “Lord Jesus, there is no way for this to work.  Have mercy and help us. Show us how to get this done, because it’s impossible.”  As the girls set to work cleaning, I texted my nearest and dearest to ask for chairs and a card table.  One girl friend directed me to another, as I had stolen her extra folding chairs earlier that week.  Girlfriend two had the card table and I whipped out to pick it up, as well as extra chairs because she has so many I feel obligated to borrow them. 

When I returned, the dining room was cleared.  My girls know how to get things done.  We had a blank canvas for Jesus’ coming miracle of spatial orientation.  For the next two hours, we shuffled card tables and chairs in an attempt to gain extra seating space.  As fatigue increased, we were less willing to listen to each other’s suggestions.  We began talking over each other and squabbling broke out.  I was feeling pretty desperate.  I considered seating guests in two rooms, when one of the girls reminded me “God could do it.”  I sent up another prayer, “Lord help.  Honestly, we are so stuck.”  It was lame but it was all I had.  Setting back to work, I kept my mouth shut and allowed the kids to take a turn at directing.  Five minutes later my 14 yr old struck gold.  “What about if we shift the table this way?” She asked.  We looked at each other in stunned silence.  Suddenly, the room placement fell together.    The miracle of seating fourteen was suddenly made possible.  As we placed chairs and name cards, I was gripped with pleasure.  Granted, we had swapped traditional seating placement for a funky café style affair, but it was done.   I sang an impromptu ode to our greatness and thanked the Lord profusely. 

That evening, as my daughters downloaded their day with Dad, I considered how long it took to us to reach our goal.  We had planned, measured and done everything  to make the chairs fit, but the experience of moving furniture around the space was essential for success.  Success couldn’t be separated from the hard work.  Our breakthrough wouldn’t have come without 2 full hours of highly organized failure.    

Are you any good at thanking the Lord for the process my friend?  Or do you, like me, get exasperated easily?  Somewhere in my carnal nature is a hard wired circuit.  I believe if I pray and ask God for help, answers should drop from the sky like rain.  At times I have no understanding why God doesn’t answer my questions simply.  I put my name on the prayer chain, why did it take me 3 months to find a good doctor?   My small group prayed for my budget, why couldn’t I find the best refinancing deal possible?  We prayed and researched getting a new car and bought a lemon, why didn’t you tip me off?  These questions and a million more betray my heart.  I want what I ask for without a fuss.  Am I sounding like a spoiled beast yet?  

I want a Santa God.

As the holiday season unfolds, I’m asking for conviction.  Straight up repentance for the subtle ways I’m out to get from God, trying to bend Him to my will, as opposed to engaging in the relationship he offers. And I’ll be thinking of you my friend, as you encounter problems along your pathway.  That you will stay patient as the pieces shift, kind as you work with those around you, and able to endure until you discover the resolution He has planned.

I’m praying for you this week,

xoxKaren