Happy Monday everyone! This week, we’re continuing with our series of Table Talk conversation cards. If you missed the previous cards and want to go back and print them out so you can use them at your family table, or with your book club, or at your next meeting or holiday party, you can get them here:
— Conversation Card 1 click here
— Conversation Card 2 click here
— Conversation Card 3 click here
On the porch today, we’re moving on the Card #3, which comes from Rachel Hauck’s book The Wedding Dress:
This was an interesting question to think about — what things do connect us to other people? How do we form connections with friends, neighbors, and family members? How do our lives and our stories become intertwined, so that it’s hard to where one story ends and another begins? In today’s busy world, we crave connection. That’s the big lure of social networking, I think–we’re looking for ways to connect.
I decided to go to my photo albums to answer this question. Nothing speaks louder than the images we choose to record and keep over the years. So many of mine are about the ties between family and friends. Here are a few things that form connections in my life:
The family table — In this busy, modern world, we don’t do this enough, do we? There’s nothing like sharing food and conversation together at the table (which was one of the reasons we decided to start this 10 week series of conversation starter cards). Here, we’re gathered at one of my all-time favorite dinner tables — Aunt Sut’s house in Antlers, Oklahoma. Even with that pack of man-children at the table, you won’t walk about from this table without filling up on good food and even better stories.
Church –You might be noticing already that the scene below looks more like a feeding frenzy than an act of worship, but so many of the connections in our lives as a family have been formed through our various churches where we’ve lived. God’s ability to multitask is (like everything else about God) is infinite and amazing. While we’re connecting to God we also become connected to other people… like these guys in the photo, for instance. Here they’re at our house for a discipleship weekend. Meat was consumed in copious amounts. Decisions were made. We were blessed. And all the furniture survived.
Books — It makes sense, I guess, since stories have connected people since back in the day when tribes gathered around fire pits in caves and tents, but it’s still amazing to me to think about all the people I’ve met across the miles because of books. I’ve been blessed by others’ wisdom, experiences, stories, and encouragement. I’ve met interesting people and made great friends, like… well.. the Belles here for instance!
Vacations — With one boy in college now and one in his last years of high school, we feel these years winding down, but over time some of our deepest family connections have been formed on vacations in various forms of wilderness. When you’re far away from all the normal demands (and all the normal electronic distractions) there’s time to talk, to experience, to discover the awesomeness of God’s creation together.
And Staycations — Sometimes a vacation right in your own back yard is enough. I’ve spent many hours walking, talking, and discovering on this little hill-country creek in the back pasture. Kids of all sizes (even grown-up ones) open up when water and sunlight combine. It’s good for dogs, too!
Man projects and other stuff — When you have boys, you learn to connect over man passions of all kinds. There’s not much choice, really. You either take up fishing, watching sports, and helping to fix machinery of all kinds, or you get left behind. It’s all good, though. If I’m ever trapped in the wilderness, I might be able to catch a fish, and if I ever end up on an airplane with the Texas Rangers, I can analyze all the players’ swings.
Bluebonnets — If you’re a Texan, one thing that connects you to all other Texans everywhere are the bluebonnets that blanket roadsides and pastures in the spring. These sweet-smelling flowers are not only beautiful, they’re part of the collective identity of Texans. In spring, you’ll find folks stopped along roadsides everywhere, taking family pictures. We’re all connected in one giant, bluebonnet-loving fan club.
These are a few of my favorite sources of connection. How do you form connections within your family or community? Leave a comment and share your connections with us!
Lisa
New On Shelves — The Latest Moses Lake Book
Click here to read the first Chapter!
