Another beautiful day! I think Father Sky was sketching the clouds today just for my cloud watching. The first walk with Penelope, the sky was dark blue and clear, not a cloud in sight. I had to get up earlier than usual to catch the garbage men to give them their Christmas candy. I heard them coming, leaped out of bed, threw on some bluejeans and a t-shirt, raced barefooted out the door. Every year when I hand them a bag of Hershey miniatures they grin like happy little boys.

When I took a break from my dinner party chores mid-morning, I saw the most beautiful clouds, large and fluffy, bleached snow white on their crowns, three dimensional and full of nature’s colors. Father Sky had shaded their bottoms in pale purple and his aqua pastel drawing of the sky was peeping through in several places. Next time I went out the clouds were layered in the colors of a cluster of purple grapes. Some of them looked angry. Not to be left out, Mother Nature blew up a strong wind turning the street into a dance rectal full of pirouetting oak leaf ballerinas dancing from all the old oaks. Just like being caught in a shower of rain, Penelope and I stood and let the leaves fall around us.

I’ve set places for 41 of my family for our McMurray Christmas dinner. I put Chief and Rosie’s place cards in the centerpiece of the dining room table. I’ll never stop being thankful and grateful for gathering around the dinner tables with those I love the most. Bible scripture says sharing a meal together strengthens relationships between God and man. Early churches gathered in homes to “break bread together” as a way to express fellowship in Christ.

Revelation 3:20 reads, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Proverbs 22:9 reads, “Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.” When we gather around the table with family we’re sharing more than a meal, we’re opening our hearts to the generosity of God’s love as we “break bread” together.

Throughout his ministry, Jesus shared meals with his disciples, with strangers, with crowds, and with sinners. He used these moments to share God’s love and forgiveness, building relationships as he spread God’s love. I love this verse in Hebrews and I think of it sometimes when I help a stranger. “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!”

Holiday meals give our families a sense of community and connection and strengthen our family bonds. Our holiday dishes and rituals become cherished memories that foster a sense of belonging. My most cherished memories of childhood are holiday dinners at my grandmother McMurray’s home. Would love to go back in time as a child to Christmas dinner at Mama Dorris’s house, seated at the dining room table, sharing the piano stool with my cousin Joe Boy. Those were glorious celebrations.

Life is truly what we make it. We can have sunny days even when there are storms blowing if we’ll just stop and be grateful for the many blessings we have. God gives us so many wondrous blessings and we just take them for granted and don’t realize the significance of the little moments that paint a glorious picture in our memories when we’re older. So many small moments go unobserved. The older I get, I’m more mindful of the little moments of happiness that God places in my life.

I’m so happy to have my whole family coming for dinner Saturday night. Nobody has any other obligations this year so my mama and daddy’s four children, their grandchildren, and great grandchildren, will all be gathered together in the home we grew up in, the home where my mother was born, in the home where both my parents drew their last breath, sharing Christmas dinner with each other. Our family dinners are always full of laughter and love and memories that flow freely around the dinner tables. I thank God we are all happy and healthy this year. We McMurrays are truly blessed!

“It’s not what’s on the table that matters, it’s who’s in the chairs.” — Unknown