Dinner Company

I have been trying to form a new habit of reading a chapter of the Bible out loud to Jameson and myself every morning. I thought an easy place to start would be in Proverbs. Seeing as there are 31 Chapters and all, I would make it my goal for the month.

A few days ago, as we read Proverbs 15 - I was taken back as I read some wisdom for being good dinner company. Verse 17 reads in the ESV "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it."


Granted, I think the application is pretty simple. People would rather eat with someone who loves them and offers a meager meal, than with their enemy over a banqueting table.

I could not help but think of how this applies to my marriage on so many levels.

1. If I am going to spend an hour fixing dinner, then grow short and smart with lance in conversation and company because of the time gone - he would rather have me in a good mood and eat a sandwich.

If you are going to be a pain to spend time around if you don't just take a break and chill out - chances are, your husband would rather you have a little down time and be good company when he gets home. Some work-arounds I have recently incorporated into our schedule - (1) make dinner during Jameson's morning or afternoon nap that way it is ready to put in the over or microwave when lance comes home from work, but i'm not killing myself for the minutes leading to him walking through the door. (2) Casseroles! Making more than one and freezing one for later. (3) Recipes that grow. Using ingredients for the week that work for multiple meals. Example: One night we have Artichoke, Spinach, and Chicken Casserole - Later that week use the left over casserole as a spread on pitas, to make Pita Pizza (Casserole spread, topped with some cheese, and sliced tomatoes) a few minutes in the oven! Dinner with nearly no work for that second meal.

But also the proverb gives me a great look into our love making. Let's take the proverb and tweak it, and see if it lines up with any truths in our lives.

"Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it."

"Better is a affectionate touch and kiss with love, than to have sex with hate in your heart."

I know there are women out there who are going to bed before their husbands so they don't have to deal with sex. There are also those who stay up way later than their husbands so that he will already be asleep when they get in bed, and they are relieved of the responsibility later saying "Well, you are always asleep when I get in bed." But all to often another sad situation exists, where you are getting into bed and having sex, but all the while thinking "Just get this over with already." Friends, let me be clear - your husband is not an idiot. When you would rather be sleeping or watching television, he knows.

I want to challenge you this week, to ask which dinner partner you are. Take the initiative to be full of love and gentleness - maybe it begins only with a meager meal of a gentle touch or kiss or on the cheek. But mean it. Whatever you can do genuinely and with full affection - offer than to him today. Certainly, more often than not, your husband would rather have a meager meal of your love, than a feast full of disdain.

Let us pray, that soon = in all our hearts we will find both love and feast.