Faith Beyond the Table is an answer to a call. I’m not sure where this road leads, but I’m stepping out in faith to find out.
I ran from God for a long time, but I answered His call during a difficult moment and turned back to Him by pouring out my heart to Him in prayer. I didn’t want to talk to people about God, go to church, hear sermons, or anything else, but I decided to try my best to do what God wanted me to do.
For the first year or so, I just prayed and listened. I felt like God was saying, “Talk to me, child,” so I did. I prayed and prayed and prayed.
Then, I felt like I needed to learn more about Jesus to understand Him better and grow in my faith. I grew up in church and read my Bible, so I knew a lot about the Bible already. I started by learning about Jewish customs and beliefs. I watched some Christian movies and “The Chosen”. As I learned, I started to feel a pull to observe the Sabbath. At this point, I still hadn’t started reading my Bible again.
One day, I felt an overwhelming need to go out and buy a Bible. Mine had gotten damaged, but I didn’t replace it. I was obedient and bought a Bible that day and started reading it. I just started at the beginning. I’d read it before, but this time the more I read and studied, the closer to God I felt.
I began observing the Sabbath by lighting candles, praying, and reading my Bible at the end of my dining room table. Just as God told me to talk to Him, I felt like He was also telling me to spend time with Him and allow Him to teach me. These moments are sacred, and when I spend dedicated time with God, I feel so much closer to Him.
There are multiple accounts in the Bible where Jesus broke bread with others. He used the time at those tables to teach His disciples and other people he dined with. He got to know them, and He allowed them to get to know Him, His teachings, His heart, and His purpose. I like to think that He’s doing the same with me when I take my seat at the table. It’s a place where we break bread, where I stop to listen and learn. It’s a place where I end my week with rest, and I purposefully draw closer to God.
Just as a parent gently guides a child, my Heavenly Father has been guiding me. Sometimes He walks beside me. Sometimes He feels even closer, like He’s holding my hand. Other times, it feels like He’s behind me, gently nudging me forward.
It was a while after I started reading my Bible that I felt like I should go to church. I had visited a lovely church with my husband one Sunday morning, but it didn’t quite feel right, so I didn’t return. I had previously decided I’d go to church when God told me to, so I waited.
One night, He told me to go, loud and clear. He laid it on my heart so hard that I couldn’t do anything else but get on my computer and find a church. I attended the following Sunday, and I found my church home. I knew within 2 minutes of the worship service that I was home.
The call to use my spiritual gifts, to serve, to go beyond the table started like all the other things He’s asked of me. He has been showing me, teaching me, laying it on my heart, leading me, and nudging me toward something more. It started quietly, like a whisper in my ear.
But I’m stubborn.
Sometimes, as much as I hate to admit, it takes more than a gentle nudge or whisper. For me, sometimes it takes a sledgehammer.
For a while now, God has laid it on my heart to share what I’m learning and experiencing in my personal walk with Him. He’s been asking me to use my spiritual gifts and the skills that He’s led me to gain over the years for His glory. Every sermon, every Sunday School (small group) lesson, and every Bible story I study seems to be about using these gifts and serving Him. It feels like I’ve been hit over the head with a Bible.
So here I am, stepping out in faith to be obedient.
I’m not sure where this will lead, but I’m excited to continue to grow in my faith and share what I’m learning as I follow God’s plan for my life.
I invite you to join me on this journey. Welcome to Faith Beyond the Table.