Always room

It was simple in structure, made by my daddy’s hands and set by my mama’s love. Often it held only cheese grits and toast with homemade blackberry jam… or macaroni and cheese with fluffy white biscuits. There was never a question about what time we were to arrive or where we sat. The conversation was gentle and caring – caring about each other’s day.
By the time we gathered, the seating was full… but never so full that another was not welcomed. My parents had an uncanny way of making others feel at home. There was always room at the table for one more.
It was the same when we raised our children. Many nights the table held homemade pizza on hamburger buns or a pot of spaghetti – their favorite meals. But what it held in simplicity, it made up for in love. And just like before… there was always room for one more.
Sometimes I believe I can still hear the echo of laughter and see little images of yesterday that rise from my heart like treasured memories. And I have come to realize… it was never just about the food. It was about the gathering and the belonging. It was the quiet assurance that you had a place – a place where you were known and welcomed. It was not a seat you earned, but a seat that was offered.
Perhaps that is why the Lord’s Table holds such a sacred place in my being. When I read the Scriptures, I see Him there – again and again –gathered around a table. I see Him on the shore, a fire gently burning, fish laid upon it, calling His disciples to come and eat (John 21:9–12). I see Him in the home of Martha and Mary of Bethany, where one prepared and the other sat at His feet, and both were loved (Luke 10:38–42). And I see Him at the table of Simon the Pharisee, where He was met with judgment… yet He still offered grace. Even there, a woman carrying the weight of her past found herself welcomed in a way she never expected (Luke 7:36–50).
Time and time again, Jesus gathered at tables – not because the people were perfect, but because they were present. He entered their homes, their questions, their brokenness, and He always came with grace in His hands, offering mercy where it was needed most.
Today we are invited to the Table. It is not a table built by human hands, but one that is prepared by grace. A table where the meal is simple – bread and cup – yet it holds everything our souls long for. The place settings are never earned. Yet we are invited to come bringing our memories, our joys, our weariness and our questions. And when we come, we find there is still room.
There is room for the faithful, the wandering and the weary. There is room for the one who does not know where they belong, because this Table has always been that kind of Table. It is a Table of gathering and belonging where grace is not withheld – but freely given. And just like the table I have known all my life, the Table is prepared…the invitation is yours.
There is always room for one more.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever – Psalm 23:5-6

Cheryl Mixon-Cruce is Pastor of Ochlockonee Bay United Methodist Church and Sopchoppy United Methodist Church.