“Girls, come up for supper,” I call from the top of the stairs. I turn from the basement door and look out the window of our kitchen door. My boys are in the middle of an intense game of basketball in the driveway. I wait for a break in the action.
“Boys, put the ball away. Come in to eat.” They take one more shot before tossing the ball into the garage. I move back toward the stove to pull the casserole out of the oven.
“Let’s eat,” I say to my husband in the next room. “Can you put Brigg in his high chair?”
Generally speaking, we have a fairly established evening meal routine. Unless a practice or meeting interferes with our schedule, we eat around the same time every weeknight.
These people live in my house. They’re familiar with the routine. Most of them can tell time. They know when it’s time for a meal. They want to be there for said meal.
Yet, I have to call them to the table.
You know who else lives in my house? The Holy Spirit. More specifically, He lives in my soul, the deepest part of my being.
Remember Christ’s words . . . “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17, ESV).
When I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior, I was given the presence of the Holy Spirit. He knows when I need Him, and He wants to be there. Yet, I have to call Him to the table.
But sometimes I forget.
I forget to call Him to the table of parenting. In the middle of exhaustion and frustration, I try to do this mom thing on my own. I try strategies. I change course. I study and read.
But sometimes I forget to invite the Holy Spirit to the table.
I forget to call Him to the table of my marriage. My husband and I are seated there, almost oblivious to the empty seat. We work through things and push forward on our own. And though we’re doing okay, the seat sits empty. Because sometimes we forget to invite the Holy Spirit to the table.
I forget to call Him to the table of my work. Instead of asking for His guidance and submitting to His will, I desperately try to make my own path. I think if I just work a little harder, I'll get a little further. I get caught up in my plans, my goals, and my future. And sometimes I forget to invite the Holy Spirit to the table.
I forget to call Him to the table of relationships. I sit in loneliness, longing for friendship and connection. I turn to social media to fill the void. But the scrolling still leaves me feeling empty. I forget to invite the Holy Spirit to the table.
I forget to call Him to the table of my decisions. I assume that only I can solve my own problems.
Instead of seeking His voice, my mind fills with the noise of the world. I rely on my own abilities to figure things out. I’m left feeling confused and frustrated. Because sometimes I forget to invite the Holy Spirit to the table.
Maybe you’ve forgotten, too. You’re pushing through life all on your own. You’re waiting for God to show up at the table, but the chair remains empty. But maybe, you’ve forgotten to invite Him to the table.
If you’ve been saved by faith, friend, remember you have the Holy Spirit living in your home, in your soul. Call to Him. Invite Him to the table. He longs to sit beside you. You simply have to call His name.
Lord,
I am so sorry I forget to invite You to the table of my life. I’m sorry for trying to do things on my own and forgetting that You desire to be involved in every part of my life. Holy Spirit, please join me at the table. Sit with me. Guide me. Comfort me. Love me. Lord, thank You for the gift of Your Spirit. Thank You for filling my soul and sitting at my table.
In Your will, through Your power, and for Your glory,
Amen