What's for Dinner?

I really like to eat. Food makes me happy. I like the smells, the combinations of flavors, the chemistry, and the presentation of food. Cooking is one of the best things for my psyche. I made Paula Deen's "Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding" yesterday and not only did eating it make me happy, but making it for my family made me even more happy. I have a husband with a sweet tooth so it's love in a bowl for him!
Eating out is also a great experience. Lately, we've eaten out more as a family than usual. We are, for the most part, at home eaters. I like to cook - so I cook. With the kitchen painting (which is now complete - hallelujah - see "Painting and Pouting" blog if you have no idea what I'm talking about) and some other spring time spruce ups around my house, cooking has been the thing to go.

My mom and I had a conversation yesterday about heaven and food. She is reading a book by Randy Alcorn called 50 Days of Heaven. In it he talks about food in heaven based on references to feasts in the Bible. Having not read the book myself, I am by no means weighing in on whether or not I agree with Mr. Alcorn, but I am fascinated by the thought and plan to study it more for myself. He says, "Words for eating, meals, and food appear more than one thousand times in Scripture, and the word translated 'feast' occurs another 187 times. Feasting involves celebration and fun. Great conversations, storytelling, relationship building, and laughter all happen around the table" (pg. 177). The main thought is this: Jesus ate in a resurrected body (see John 21:4-14). Therefore, Alcorn says we will eat in our resurrected bodies once either Jesus returns, or we close our eyes here and open them in heaven. As a food lover, this more than thrills me. Food and tables and all the relationship it represents are one of the highlights of being with people for me. Doing this for eternity - bliss!

So I'm just wondering, "What's for dinner?" and more importantly, "Who are you inviting?" In Luke 14:12-14 Jesus says, "When you give a luncheon or dinner...invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." Please believe me, this is as challenging to me to read as I'm sure it is for you. I'm honestly not even sure how to do this. I do, however, know some people who just need company during meals. I have friends who I need to catch up with and we're all most likely going to eat dinner - so why not together? I heard a guy talking about community building at his church and he said that their mantra was, "Do it together sometimes." The meaning is this: We all go to the grocery, we all eat at some point in the day, we all mow our yards, clean our homes, etc. We're all doing these things individually, so their church simply encourages folks to do it together...sometimes.

Whether here or in heaven...let eating be more than routine. Let it be a reminder of the wedding supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9) and of the opportunity to be Jesus to the hurting and forgotten as well as an opportunity to connect with friends. Bon Appetit!