There is a song I first heard at least sixty years ago that has been running through my mind lately. “When I was but a boy in days of childhood, I used to play until evening shadows come and winding down that old familiar pathway I’d hear my mother call at set of sun. Come home. Come home it’s supper time. The shadows lengthen fast. Come home. Come home it’s supper time. We’re going home at last. Some of my fondest memories revolve around supper time, when mom would come to the back steps of our old home place and say, ‘Come on in Jimmy. It’s supper time.” How I would love to hear her say those words again. But time has woven for me the realization of a truth that is even more thrilling; when my Lord himself will stand at the portals of Glory and call, “It’s supper time Jim” and we’ll all gather around the table with the Lord himself at that greatest supper time of them all. Come home. Come home it’s supper time. The shadows lengthen fast. Come home. Come home it’s supper time. We’re going home at last.”
I love that song for two reasons. The first is that it reminds me of what I am looking forward to when my tour of duty here is complete. It will happen on God’s time table, but I know it is getting closer every year.
The second reason it means so much to me is that those family meals at the end of the day are very fond memories of my childhood and even of my marriage. There were no electronic gadgets or cell phones that could be brought to the table to distract us from the enjoyment of conversations and good food together as a family. Even the phone on the kitchen wall was never answered during supper time. Everyone knew to call back later. Those supper times drew me closer to my parents and later to my wife.
I’m afraid many families today fail to make those precious memories. Either family members are so busy they grab something to eat on the run without setting aside that special time each evening together, or one or more of the family members are distracted by calls or texts during the meal. I know it is easier when children are young to set rules and then enjoy each other, but I was expected to be home for supper until I graduated from high school and joined the Air Force and I’m so happy I have all of those precious memories. Not everyone reading this had memorable supper times growing up, but we can all take time to enjoy them now. One of the benefits of family meal time is that communication skills are formed and we learned how to connect with other people, especially the ones we love.
Jesus continually teaches us in the Gospels how we should interact with God and other people with love and respect. Seven of the Ten Commandments deal with our treatment of others, including our parents. The other three deal with our relationship with God. We are created with a need to interact with God and with others. God created Eve as a companion for Adam and so they could have a family. Our first relationships are with family members and they usually set the tone for all of our relationships in life. I hope you have fond memories of family meals too and/or you are making fond memories with your family today.