FEASTING

"He that is of a merry heart
hath a continual feast."
Proverbs 15:15

If you're like my family, dinner is decided by the one with any energy left. Through the ages, meals have typically been a time to reconnect with family and loved ones. But in this day and age, it's often a matter of what can be tossed in the microwave before someone has to be shuttled to, or picked up from, the next event. The busyness of life can be the very enemy of making and keeping noble plans.

Back in the early 1990s, we adopted the idea of a royal feast. Every Friday evening the rigors of the week are set aside for a sumptuous meal. We're pretty frugal every other day of the week, eating a lot of inexpensive and convenient meals. But on Friday night, the taste buds can't wait.

The regular dishes are set aside for platters, glasses for goblets, and the counter top is set. There's the roast, usually at least 3-hours in the oven so the meat is juicy and tender. Sumptuously simmered garlic mushrooms, piping hot potatoes (or yams) oozing with butter, slices of tangy cheddar cheese melted over luscious green broccoli, and specially bought bread!

There are prayers of thanksgiving, a shared cup, a shared piece of bread, and a feast where we laugh and enjoy one another's company around a candle lit table. It is one of the rare moments in the week when all seems right with the world.

It's a noble plan that has served us well, that honors God, and lets us relax and enjoy what the Almighty has provided. Try it. You may find it becomes the one time of the week when everyone looks forward to being together!

"A noble man devises noble plans and by noble plans he stands."