Dear Ladies, I am continuing to add a few comments from the post below, CHAOS OR ORDER?
Because of disorder at the table, one lady mentioned the adage: “Children should be seen and not heard” I don’t agree with this statement. I believe the table is place for not only eating, but fellowship. Food and fellowship go together. They are TWINS.
Of course, as I have been sharing, we don’t allow children to talk over the top of one another, or to have separate conversations with each other at the table. Fellowship is for building up one another. Therefore, each one takes a turn. We train our children to do what is right and what is etiquette. When they learn the right way at the table, they understand how to act in other situations.
Even in the church situation 1 Corinthians 14:31 says: “For ye may all prophecy ONE BY ONE, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.” Do you notice the words ONE BY ONE? It is chaos when everyone talks at once. But we are all blessed and encouraged when each one takes their turn.
Other women mentioned that husbands should help more! We all want our husbands to help more, don’t we? But we need to remember that God has given us the task of managing our home. It’s not our husband’s obligation. His responsibility to is to work hard to provide and protect the home. Of course, it is lovely when the husband helps with the dishes, especially when there are young children.
However, when there are older children in the home, they should be trained to take the responsibility to clear the table, do the dishes, and clean the kitchen. If we are not training them, we are not doing our job. The husband who has been working hard all day should not have to do this. But if he does, please be grateful to him and thank him. Don’t take it for granted.
You are the Queen of your home. You are not expected to do every job in the home. You train and delegate. Every child can do something, even the little ones. In homes where there are older trained children the mothers should be reaping their reward of years of mothering. They should be able to sit and relax while their children clean up.
And one more thing. Can I please encourage you, dear wives and mothers, to change your confession? Many wrote that they dislike the family table because of the rabble and confusion that goes on. But this is opposite to God’s plan. God wants to come and join you at your table. He wants to bring His presence to your table. He wants it to be a place of joy, laughter, harmony, and blessing one another.
You can begin to make this happen as you change your confession. Begin confessing that you LOVE MEAL TIMES WITH YOUR FAMILY! What you confess will come to pass. Instead of thinking of preparing a meal as another chore, look upon it as sacred task. My goal is TO MAKE EVERY MEAL A LOVE AFFAIR!
That’s what I think about when you start preparing a meal. Think of how you make your meal a love affair to bless their physical bodies. You think of how you can make your table a love affair as you talk and fellowship together. You think of the greatest joy at the end of the meal when you open the Bible to feed the spirit and pray together.
Start thinking NOW about what you are going to do at your meal table this evening.
Love from Nancy Campbell