A Simple Game of Catch
Table Talk
Setting the Table
You are welcome here. Come just as you are, bringing whatever is on your heart today. Take a few moments and allow yourself to just be. Take a couple deep breaths, grab yourself a cup of coffee, light a candle, do something that brings you comfort. Allow yourself to be present in this moment.
Reflect on a time when the simple act of someone's presence offered you a place to feel safe and secure.
Galatians 6:2
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Psalms 46:1
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
If you love someone, the greatest gift you can give them is your presence.
- Thich Nhat Hanh
Food for Thought
My father was a rural Minnesota boy who grew up and moved out into the world where he met my mother, a Brooklyn-born city girl and a daughter of Italian immigrants. Needless to say, my mom’s family was large and loud. One time on a visit with her family, my dad needed a break from the large group of loud, loving Italians. He spied one of my cousins who, at the time, was 16 years old and a product of the sixties. My dad asked this teenager if he wanted to go outside and play catch. The young man said yes. The entire event took no more than twenty minutes, and nothing was said - no Bible verses quoted, no wisdom imparted - just my dad stepping into this young man’s life with a game of catch.
Fast forward 20 years to another family reunion with those same wonderful Italians. My now 36-year-old cousin, with a family of his own, sought out my dad to share his memory of that day 20 years before. He said, “The day we played catch changed my life. When we were throwing the ball back and forth, I realized life could be simpler and that there was more to life than drugs and alcohol. It was from that moment on I decided things had to change”. My dad was shocked to find out that a simple game of catch changed the trajectory of my cousin’s life. But it wasn’t just a game of catch, it was my dad stepping into this young man’s life and, without words, saying, “I’m here.”
My dad felt fortunate to learn about the impact he had on this young man, because many times we never find out how our acts of love and hospitality affect others.
As I have looked back over my own life searching for times that I’ve felt welcomed, I have found that the ones that stand out most are the moments where small gestures came at the biggest of times. I think of things as simple as a hug at a time that my heart was breaking, sharing a cup of coffee at a time when I needed a friend, being offered a place at the table when I had no one to share a meal with. These were moments of welcome where the other person stepped into a space with me and showed me love at a time my heart desperately needed it. They were moments where someone showed up and, without words, simply said, “I’m here."
My father stepped into a space with a young man who was broken-hearted by this world, and through a simple act of love and attention, welcomed him into a new life. This story has taught me two things: to never underestimate the importance of saying to someone “I’m here”, and to always thank those who share that love with you.
We all are made vulnerable by our desire to be loved. Love is the most powerful thing we can share and the most devastating thing we can withhold. Love is only accurately measured by feel and delivered by action and choice.
We are entrusted to share this love with others. What an honor bestowed upon us. This honor is not about perfection but is about our earnest pursuit to fulfill God’s truth through Love.
As we move through our everyday, ordinary lives, let us look for ways we might offer those around us welcome through the simple act of showing up - of loving one another intentionally.
How can you offer your presence in a way that embodies the command to “love each other”?
Think of a few simple ways that you can offer love and refuge to someone who might just need a safe place to be - a cup of coffee, a conversation, or even a game of catch. Call a friend and invite them to spend a few moments together.
Blessing
Lord, no matter the task,
steady and strengthen my hands
as they interact with this world.
Protect my heart
so my touch delivers love, not pain.
Allow my hands the honor
of serving you by serving those
You entrust to me.
A little Table Talk for your table...
Share a time when someone said to you, “I’m here” just when you needed to hear it. How did that make you feel?
What are ways you can offer that same kind of love and refuge to someone in your life?
Why can it be difficult sometimes to “be there” - to be tuned in to those around us who may be in need of the generosity of our presence?
Try taking it to the Kids Table...
Talk about what “refuge” means (safety, shelter, protection).
Ask your kiddo about their favorite game - the rules and objective, what they like about it, etc.
Gather a few buddies and go play!
Meet our Welcoming Voice!
James Freetly was raised in a faith-filled midwestern family and is the second oldest of four boys. James is also the proud parent of two adult children, Travis and Emma. He spent 20 years of his professional life as a computer engineer, until life changed. He is now an actor, photographer, writer, and for the past three years has served as a military contractor working to combat terrorism in Africa.
To hear more from James throughout the week, follow along on our Instagram!