By Beth Bergren on Feb 25,
2016 posted on www.themominitiative.com blog
Come Lord Jesus, be our guest.
Let this food to us be
blessed. Amen.
I truly believe mealtimes
can be one activity that consistently connects family in a unique way.
Everyone is busy!
HOW TO CONTROL MEALTIME MADNESS
Ponder –
think about what is going to be served before 5:00 PM that day.
Plan – make and stick to a menu plan at least 3 times a week. You
can’t win the battle if you don’t have a plan!
Purchase – grocery shop for what's needed for the week or month of planned
meals.
Prepare–
use a slow cooker and learn freezer prep techniques to prepare meals in
advance.
Preserve
– use proper storage containers to save food for later use.
Present – serve the meal to those you love! BE PRESENT at the table and enjoy the meal with them.
My passion for mealtime planning is a very
personal one. My husband Jim, lost his eyesight from diabetes in his early
20’s. When we married it was important that I learned ways to make meals that
would be easy for him to heat and eat while I was at work.
When our daughters came along, it became even
more important that I had at least three meals a week planned, prepared and ready
to go for my family. It simply made life easier. I discovered having
that one area of my life organized made a BIG difference in
how I handled other areas of my life as a wife and mom.
What I didn’t realize while doing this all
those years was God was using that time for my daughters to get to know
their father more intimately because of mealtimes together. It was a time when my girls felt free to
talk about their day and spend quality time together as a family. Of course we
were busy – Girl Scouts, flute lessons, ice skating, girls basketball, Awanas
Club, Sunday School & church youth events, after school activities,
sleepovers and more.
My husband passed in 1994, my girls were 11
and 9 at that time. I see how God used those mealtimes for my girls to get 30
years of their dad rolled up into 10 years together. They knew their daddy.
They felt his love!
After his passing, I also saw the importance
of maintaining regular mealtimes to help in the healing process of that loss.
We always had an extra space at the table to
invite family or friends for a meal. It made having that empty chair at the
table less painful. Oh, the laughter we shared with the boy’s next store, or
the girl’s best friends when they came to eat at least once a week. It was a
hoot!
My prayer is that you will "be intentional" about making
mealtimes a priority in your home. If you find yourself floundering or frazzled, feeling like you
are getting nowhere, maybe organizing mealtimes is a good place to start to
bring balance in your home
Mealtimes nourish our bodies and
provide rest for our souls!
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28 (NIV)
It’s a time God will use to bless your
family in ways you can’t even imagine.
What mealtime traditions do you have in your
family?
How have you glorified God through mealtime?
Beth – At Mom’s
Table – Homemaking Mentor
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