A verse for the kitchen

There was a blank wall in our kitchen that was asking for something.  I searched for prints at thrift stores, browsed etsy and ebay, and even considered creating a wild collage with the whole family.  But when I read this meal time verse in Shea Darian's Seven Times the Sun I knew it was just what our wall (and family) was asking for. 

Love - feast

We gather 'round this table,

Where  bodies are renewed,

Where hearts appease their hunger,

For we feast on more than food.

Clara stayed up late and helped me with the simple process.  We used this tutorial to get started and enjoyed layering color and glaze until it looked ready for the final words.

I considered using clean stencils for the words but that seemed too sterile for the message I hoped to convey.  So I just went at it with a narrow paint brush.  It didn't turn out as clean and evenly spaced as I would have hoped but James reassured me the rawness of it is quite artistic.  And I'll add what made the final writing most difficult is the decrease of arm span from my body, it was really hard to get close to the canvas with my protruding belly in the way.

So there it is up on the wall in full view of my cooking area to remind me to add additional love to the food I prepare, cooking is more than a chore, it is an act of love.  

It sits straight faced against Paul at the head of the table as a gentle reminder that there is no place for an iphone, laptop or newspaper at the table while we are gathered.  

It tells the older boys to slow down their consumption, take a few breaths and offer a few words between bites.  

And when the younger ones complain about what is placed on the plates before them, I will read them the verse and tell them whether or not they choose to eat is their choice.  I choose not to invite that battle to our table.  

Instead I'll invite their smiles (or sometimes honest frowns) and presence because our family mealtime would not be completely nourishing without them.