To anyone else it may have seemed like a normal dinner with all six of us laughing as we sat around a table full of partially eaten dinners and half-filled cups of iced tea. But I knew differently, I knew this was a blessing from God.

You see, Rob and I have four sons. With all our different opinions, personalities, schedules, etc. it is close to impossible to have a dinner with all of us present, not arguing, and enjoying each other’s company. Usually our meals consist of bickering (or as my husband likes to call it “healthy debates”), complaints about the food, or venting about the day’s trials and tribulations.

But this night was different, it was special. Tonight there was a peace that descended around us like a cloud and for whatever reason we were blessed to have an enjoyable meal together. I don’t even remember what food was served that night, but everyone ate to their full. The conversations kept erupting into joyous laughter and no-one picked on anyone else. My family was happy just being together and it touched my heart.

I sat in my chair and watched the scene as if viewing it from the outside of a frosty window pane. The memory that is embedded in my heart is bordered with a hazy soft glow of love. This precious moment was not a happenstance occurrence but a true blessing from God and I was praising Him deeply in my heart for it.

Being a Mom, I can think of no greater joy than having my children love each other and enjoy each other’s company. All mothers want our children to “play nice,” and “say nice things,” to and about each other. We want our children to love each other just as much as we love them.

Doesn’t this mirror what God wants for His children too? God wants His children, you and I, to get along, to play nice, and to say nice things about each other. God wants us to sit around our tables and enjoy each other’s company, to eat together, to share our lives with one another, and to bear each other’s burdens.

Jesus also calls us to join Him at His table, to share the meal of His body and His blood. That special meal with His disciples was where Jesus chose to be to precede His agonizing journey to the cross. Jesus says, “Do this in remembrance of me.” (See Luke 22:19-20)

But even before we are to share in His meal, Jesus tells us to settle our disputes with our brothers first-before we come to Him.

Matthew 5:23-24 NIV “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

Jesus wants to watch His children to live, grow, and love each other and to experience joy in this world. He wants only good things for us and He wants us to know that these gifts are from Him. Jesus wants to love us and He wants us to love one another. 

My hope is that my family and I can experience His love and joy together. I want many, many more of these joyous moments just being together. I pray that we can all grow closer to one another and also grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ; that we can share our meals-whether around our dinner table or His-knowing that we are truly loved by Him and by one another.

Linda Guteres