Peace in Silver Linings
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.
Consider peace to be a divine offering for the world, entrusted to our tending, our receiving, our choosing, our nurturing.
Do not despise your own place and hour. Every place is under the stars, every moment is a miracle.
— Maya Angelou
Luke 2:14
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
Food for Thought
“Can I get that?” I hear my sister ask as she eyes one of the grays sprouting from my head, eager to yank it free.
This is not the first time she’s asked me this. I got my first gray hair at twenty-five and, as I creep toward forty, they seem to multiply every day (for some reason, more so on one side of my head than the other – not sure what that’s about, but I guess I can look forward to my Cruella Deville era). And on a head full of otherwise dark hair, each gray hair stands out (and stands up) like…well…a gray hair.
“No!” I insist, “That’s where my power comes from!”
This has become my adopted attitude about my “silvers” – a thinly veiled attempt to reframe the way I view signs of aging – my way of resisting hiding and dying and injecting away the proof that I’ve lived on this planet as long as I have. It’s my way of making peace with something that I truly cannot control or undo.
But, even though my mantra started as sort of a joke, I’m not entirely wrong!
One of our superpowers as humans, and one of the best parts about getting older, is the wisdom we’re blessed to earn – the sense of self and lessons learned that only come with time and experience. And, whether we like it or not, those years come with little markers. Every gray, every laugh line, every joint ache tells a story about the life we’ve lived.
Of course, while some parts of that story are hilarious or heartwarming, there tend to be other parts, too – painful parts, parts we would rather hide away, erasing any proof those chapters existed at all. The markings of those chapters may not be as benign as a silver hair or a wrinkle, but instead may be evidenced by much deeper wounds – holes we will feel in our heart, empty place settings around our tables, mistakes we’re still living with, or perhaps even physical scars.
How do we make peace with those parts of ourselves and our stories, especially during the holiday season – when the festivities of our society leave little room for anything else besides ‘go, buy, shop, eat, drink, be merry!’; or when every other day there’s a gathering to attend with family, which in theory is wonderful, but in reality can be a very sore subject for a lot of us; or when there are no invitations to holiday gatherings?
Yes, this season can be a beautiful, joyful time of year that preaches ‘Peace on earth, goodwill toward men!’ But how can we find peace on earth when we struggle to find peace within our own hearts? How can we extend goodwill toward all of mankind when it’s difficult to even extend it to ourselves? When will we be able to see those markings of our stories as anything but painful?
In the second chapter of Luke, when the angels appeared to the Shepherds to herald the birth of Jesus, they proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” I believe that proclamation was a celebration, yes, but perhaps also a wish…maybe even a promise. Not because of anything we are or are not, but because of who Jesus was and is, we can receive the promise of peace.
Despite the circumstances and how unlikely it seems – even in the midst of fear, turmoil, and uncertainty – deep loss, estrangement, financial insecurity, shame, loneliness – we can have peace.
Jesus was born into our brokenness that we might know peace – peace in our world and peace within ourselves.
That is my wish for you, too.
Wherever you find yourself today, whatever you are struggling with or working through, I pray that you are able to hold every part of your story with care, and find power in the scars, lessons, and gray hairs that come with it. Today and every day, know that you are deeply loved by a God who desires peace and goodwill for you.
Consider the parts of your story that stir up hard feelings – hurt, anger, shame, etc. What is something small you could do today to offer yourself peace? Perhaps you could share that pain with a friend, take a moment to remember someone you love, write an apology you might one day share, write an apology you feel you are owed, or reach out to someone with whom you’ve lost touch.
The holidays are upon us and maybe you are finding yourself slightly nervous. It can be hard to know how to navigate or approach all that might divide us if brought up in conversation. To help our readers navigate this season, our team created a short resource to provide you with Five Things to Remember When Setting a Welcome Table for the Holidays! We hope it will help you set a welcoming space before your guests even arrive!
For a printable version of today's reflection Click Here!
Blessing
Loving God,
Help us to find peace in the parts of our stories that are hard to love.
Help us to accept what we cannot control or undo, and give us strength when that feat seems insurmountable. We thank you, God, for the gift of your son, and the peace he came to bring. Guide us toward your loving arms in our search for that peace.
Amen.
A little Table Talk for your table...
If there is someone who you feel comfortable sharing with, talk about a literal or figurative mark or scar that you carry that is a part of your story.
How do you feel about it? Why?
If you struggle to feel at peace with parts of your story, can you dare to imagine that one day you will? What would it require to get there?
Try taking it to the Kids Table...
What does peace mean to you?
Do you have any scars? Tell someone the story of how you got that scar.
How do you feel about your scar – do you think it’s cool, does it embarrass you, is it special to you, do you completely forget it exists?
Meet This Week’s Writer!
June Dare Bunce is a native North Carolinian and one of the founders of The Welcome Table. Outside of TWT, she’s been a professional actor for the past fifteen years and has had the honor and pleasure of working as a drama instructor for various organizations and non-profits. When she’s not working on a script or at the office, you can either find her at the gym or on the yoga mat, walking around whatever town she’s living in, or working on the art of relaxing at home (it really is a skill).
To hear more from June throughout the week, follow along on our Instagram!