Gather at the Table (Rachel Bruns)

I am a wife and mom to three daughters and we live a very full life. Like most families we

have school, sports, church and other activities and in our house meal time was just a chore to get everyone fed. While I was so proud of myself for just sitting at the table as a family every night, in early 2024 I was convicted to be more intentional with our family dinners and wanted to implement new traditions in our home. Our dining room is a beautiful room that sits empty most days and I was looking for a way to better utilize the space. I decided that we would start eating in our dining room once a week. By choosing to pause and slow down, there is this unforced rhythm of grace that now exists in our home. Our weeks feel less chaotic,and our schedules have gone from feeling like a burden to a blessing.This new tradition has become the most incredible addition to our family, and I hope after reading this you feel inspired to pause and gather at your table too!

Here's how our family dinners go. While the kids are at school, I set the table with

flowers, candles, chargers, real plates and special glasses. Sidenote-with the help of my mom, I have enjoyed collecting glassware and now have a fun collection to rotate through each week. I try to have the table set before the kids get home from school because I feel it creates peace and sets the tone and atmosphere of our evening. As I set the table I pray over every member of my family and our guests who are joining us. My girls are 10, 7, and 1 and most meals consist of something I know they will love.Sometimes we keep it simple with pizza and a bagged Caesar salad, and other weeks its pasta or steak. In this season, the food isn't as important as creating the habit of pausing, gathering, and being together. I know one day we will look back and laugh at eating pizza on our wedding china! My husband and I usually enjoy a nice bottle of wine and our girls pick a special drink to enjoy in their fancy glasses. We do an activity we learned from our pastors called highs, lows and buffaloes. This is where we share the high of our day, the low of our day, and something that surprised us. We pray, we laugh, we encourage, we give toasts, we challenge each other, we celebrate each other, and we take communion as a family about once a month. We put our phones away for the rest of the evening and truly engage with each other and it's beautiful.

My prayer is that we stay flexible so the tradition stays alive for years to come! I pray the

girls continue to look forward to this and one day implement this tradition in their homes. One Friday this past fall my oldest daughter, Mayson, whispered in my ear and asked if their friends could stay for family dinner. The girls quickly added chairs to the already set table, made place cards for our guests and we had the sweetest conversation around the table. I’ll never forget that night. Our kids are always watching and learning from us. I am so grateful this fun tradition has not only taught them the importance of pulling our focus inward towards each other but also opening our home and serving the people we love.

What makes this special is the intentionality and the time together, not the presentation.

However, setting the table has become one of my favorite parts. Everyone has different

capacities depending on the season they are in. You might be single and living in your first

apartment, a newlywed in your first home, a mom with babies and toddlers, have a home full of teenagers or an empty nester. You don't need a dining room, fancy dishes and meals to prioritize a weekly gathering around your table. Use what you have! Start simple! Put it on your calendar, keep the appointment, and enjoy a sweet evening with your family and friends.