The Table of Wonder

Eating with the people you love is a wonderful thing.

 

There’s laughter, shared stories, and that sense of comfort that only comes when you’re among your people.

 

But have you ever had to sit at a table with someone you didn’t really care for?

 

Maybe it was that relative whose political opinions you just can’t understand.

 

Or maybe it was the coworker who beat you out for that promotion.

 

We all know the feeling—the tension between wanting peace and wishing for distance.

 

And yet… Jesus says, “Come to the table.”

 

The other evening, after grabbing a quick meal, I asked my server his thoughts about a recent political figure—someone whose views I personally disagree with.

 

He looked at me, paused, and asked, “Do you really want to know?”

 

I smiled and said, “Yes. Absolutely.”

 

That opened the door to a remarkable conversation. It went far beyond politics—into family, faith, and life. His wife joined in, too. We talked about so many things. And by the end, the conversation circled back to Jesus.

 

That’s the thing about a table—it’s where hearts open when words might not.

 

Jesus was always doing ministry around a table.

He ate with tax collectors and sinners.
He dined with Pharisees.
He dined with friends who let him down and even one who would later betray Him…

 

And in each of those moments, He was showing us that love is not limited by agreement.

 

It’s revealed in presence.

 

To sit and truly listen—to hear another person’s story, even when we disagree—is an act of grace.

 

It’s choosing connection over comfort, and compassion over correctness.

 

When David wrote, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies,” He was declaring something remarkable: God doesn’t just invite us to eat in peace—He invites us to eat in the tension.

 

To find His presence, even there.

 

This Thanksgiving, as you gather around your table, remember this:

Sometimes wonder is found not in the perfect meal or the familiar faces— but in the grace to share a table with someone you wouldn’t have chosen, and still find Jesus sitting beside you.

 

Ask Him to give you the humility to listen.
The courage to love.
And the faith to see His presence, even in the uncomfortable places.

 

A Simple Practice for November

1. Set a wider table.
   Invite someone into conversation—or even into your life—who sees the world
   differently from you do.
   You don’t have to agree to listen. And sometimes listening opens doors you
   never expected.
2. Remember the Host.
   This season, as we gather around tables of food, faith, and fellowship—remember who set the table in the first place.
   Jesus invites us all.

Through your support of New Dimensions Evangelism, you help set tables of laughter, light, and hope—from creating content for kidmin leaders to public schools and family nights to outreach church events and overseas missions.

 

You help create spaces where hearts open… and where Jesus becomes the center of the conversation.

 

Thank you for making room at the table.

And may your cup overflow with gratitude and grace this Thanksgiving