The Dinner Party

He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food. Job 36:16

A feast is set before a handful of guests. They wait in apprehension of the exotic dishes that their hosts have whispered of over the past few months. But the two sisters seated at their own crude wooden table do not realize that they are about to become the guests at a feast of delights more bountiful than they ever fathomed. With a simple prayer, pronounced warily, the feast begins. They eye the blood-red wine and succulent fruits with suspicion, but with the first bite and an explosion of flavor, their faces light up. With each course their moods brighten and their spirits lift. The servant boy continues to place before them new and curious dishes, but the host remains unseen. She slaves in the kitchen working for the beloved sisters and their community, to provide for them not only sweet sustenance, but peace and unity as well. 

This is the story of a French cook who gave everything for those she loved. But "Babette's Feast" also mirrors another story reflected in our own souls.

Several days ago, I was reading Job 36:16. The beauty of this image and it's striking parallel to Isak Dinesen's parable overwhelmed me. The Lord began to speak to my heart. The worry and anxiety that had built up in my heart and mind over the past semester began to dissipate. The questions that rattled around inside of me quickly grew quiet, and peace comforted my soul.

The Lord has sent me an invitation this year. He invites me daily to His table. I am seated and waiting. I do not know what each course will be; in fact, I know that some of the things He places before me will be new and strange to my palate at first. But all He asks is that I lift the fork to my mouth to taste. The food He gives will be just what I need to sustain me. Some dishes will be bitter and some incredibly sweet, but I want to receive and enjoy them all because they are from Him, the Lover of my soul. 

I am not alone at this table. He invites us all to dine and feast upon Him. Join me at the comfort of His table that together we may taste and see that the Lord is good!!!