The potlucks of life

Last week we had our annual Thanksgiving potluck at the office. That lunch always brings back fond memories of church potlucks from my youth. Families lined up at tables laden with dozens of homemade dishes. We all hoped that Mrs. Goehle brought her triple layer jello salad with pears and maraschino cherries, that Mrs. Johnson made baked beans and that Mrs. so-and-so did not. I've been to potlucks where there were lots of deviled eggs but no desserts or lots of potato salad and no meat. There were even times where the hosts realized that too many people arrived to partake but not contribute. To prevent any of those scenarios, we post a signup sheet at the office.

The idea of a potluck means that we take a chance that things provided will be good and acceptable, but there is no signup sheet for the potluck of life. As much as we want a banquet table with lots of choices in every aspect of our lives, that's not what we get. Or, it is what we get, and we make poor choices. Sometimes we stand there, at the head of the line, feeling alone, uncertain which utensil to use, not to mention which dish to select. Other times we feel pushed from behind to hurry along and we take the first thing we see. Most often, we routinely pick the comfortable and familiar, only occasionally examining the exotic and new.

As I mused on the idea of potlucks here at the beginning of this Thanksgiving week, two quotes came to mind. One is Forrest Gump saying, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." We never do know what or who will be added to or taken away from our table. We can pick up a nice looking new salad only to discover we don't like the dressing, just like we meet someone we'd like to know better but learn that they are all surface and no substance. The other phrase comes from Psalm 23, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies." You and I may have different beliefs on who "Thou" is, or if there even is a Thou, but for centuries people have found solace in those words. 

Perhaps you are dreading this holiday because of someone who will be at your table. Whatever makes them the enemy - behavior, politics, personality, history - it's probably too Pollyannaish to even suggest that you remind them that life is a potluck and their view is one of many, but it may help to concentrate on the potluck of other people present. Me? I'll be with some of my family of the heart. I'm bringing the stuffing. Oh, and today at the office I'll be posting a signup for our holiday Dip 'n Dessert party. This is something new and I can't wait to see how this potluck turns out!

Marilyn