Sunday Lunch

“Family and friendships are two of the greatest facilitators of happiness.”

John Maxwell

Sunday Morning Service

Steven: (leans over and whispers to Chuck) What are you grillin’ today?

Chuck: (leans over and whispers to Steven) Man, I got these new seasonings I’m trying out on some chicken.

Steven: (leans over and whispers to his wife, Allison) We are going to the Howard’s for Sunday lunch.

Allison: Have we been invited?

Steven: Well, not really, but Chuck’s grilling, so we’re going to “stop by.”

The afternoon progressed with grilled chicken and an impromptu side salad, followed by three little girls running wildly in their princess dresses and heels (Charlotte had not debuted yet). Over the sound of adult conversation and little girl giggles, we heard the familiar tune of the ice-cream man driving by ever so slowly to see if life would emerge from our home. I have a sneaky suspension he knew what he was doing all along. The girls waved him down from the front porch in their princess dresses, and he happily made his way up to our driveway.

The guys told Allison and me they would take the kids on out, and we could finish up what we were doing and follow in just a bit. We thought that sounded splendid. Allison and I spent a few minutes chit-chatting and gathering what we needed to head outside.

Walking down the hallway, we met Steven barreling through the door with Nora in some kind of embrace while Anne trailed him in sobs. Eva sailed in next with alligator tears streaming down her face. Chuck came in, bringing up the rear, hollering, “I had to cut her out of that dress! And where is my wallet!”

Anne is four years old. She knew the tune of the ice-cream truck so well that all other factors left her thinking capacity. Anne ran as fast as her legs would carry her but met with the concrete instead of an ice-cream cone. About the same time, Eva came speeding past on her bicycle. However, her excitement came to a sudden halt as she was tangled and attached to the bike peddle by her Princess Elsa dress and cape. Chuck had no other course of action but to cut her out of the dress. Tears were falling faster than the guys could catch in all the commotion. Seemingly unnoticed sat little Nora, a year-and-a-half, on the edge of the ice-cream truck window. She began to cry, trying to process all that was happening in front of her.

Upon hearing the details of the catastrophic ten-yard trip to the ice-cream truck, Allison and I concluded that our ice cream treat was no longer going to happen and silently thought we should have taken the girls out ourselves (wink).

My parents have taught for many years that you need three types of friendships in your life. Everyone needs a Paul, a mentor relationship, a Johnathan, those true-blue honest-to-goodness friends that see you at your best and your worst, and, finally, everyone needs a Timothy, which is someone you are teaching. It is vital to be teaching those coming behind us. As I was growing up, my mother always had her eyes and ears open about who we were associating with. She believed very strongly that who we befriended would directly affect our future.

It takes time to develop these types of friendships. TD Jakes said it best, “Don’t cry when you don’t know how to make Grandma’s recipe. You never took time to learn it.” Friendships are like investments; we get what we put into them. If we want friendships we must first show ourselves friendly.

I can still visualize where I was sitting when I prayed this prayer. “Dear Lord, friendships are the sweet flavor of life. Fill my families days with friendships that leave the hours ticking unnoticed by the laughter; where getting the kids to bed way too late is worth it, where road trips are eventful, and campfires are endless; where backyard grill-outs happen without an invitation and elementary school day pals are as comfortable at my home as their own. Fill our house with friends that come for the company, not the tour. Thank you, Lord, for friendships that will last a lifetime.” Amen.

There is a fascinating fact about Red Wood trees. They are one of the world’s most giant trees, with a height of forty to three hundred feet and a spread of twenty-five to a hundred feet. But compared to their mammoth size, their root system is shallow, only reaching about six feet deep. What holds these trees in place is their ability to intertangle the roots, offering support to one another.

That’s what friends do in our lives. They become our support system.

The jokes have been endless surrounding that Sunday afternoon. Going to church is so important and valuable to our spiritual well-being, but that will not build strong relationships in our lives. Relationships happen while cleaning out the flower garden together or helping paint a fence; relationships happen over volunteer days and PTA meetings. Yet, the place I find relationships flourish the most is around the table for Sunday lunch.

Welcome Home

“A sweet friendship refreshes the soul.” Proverbs 27:9

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