Meet Me At the Breakfast Table
“I just love those babies of yours!” said a warm, motherly voice behind me in the pew as I picked up my daughter and tucked my post-Sunday-service-with-toddlers-in-tow messy hair behind my ear. The elderly woman’s kind, southern drawl was a welcoming reassurance for me to turn around to face her with a tired but hopeful smile. My family was new to the congregation, and if they say life in ministry can sometimes feel like living in a fishbowl, I often felt like I was drowning in mine. As a new preacher’s wife, I had reasoned that I could only make as great of a first impression in the pew as my squirreliest toddler would allow. I’d discovered pursuing meaningful friendships in this new role felt more difficult than I’d anticipated and I had been praying for true connection.
“My grandbabies are getting so big now that I miss these little toddler moments sometimes,” the nice lady continued. “Hey…do you like breakfast?”
“I, um…yes—I like breakfast,” I stammered, a little caught off-guard. “Yes Ma’am, I do.”
“Is Thursday open for you?”
“Yes Ma’am,” I answered, “I think it is...”
“Well, good!” She said with a pat on my arm. “Sounds like we’ve got ourselves a breakfast date!”
I stood there, head tilted and mostly disheveled, watching her leave, and I thought to myself how much I admired this spritely woman who saw past my mess, or maybe, just maybe, saw it for exactly what it was and invited me to breakfast anyway.
Thursday came, and it was a morning spent in laughter and tears. We found meaningful connection over our shared losses, resilience, faith, and heavenly hope. After hours of conversation, I shared with her that I’d been praying specifically for a friend and a mentor. She got teary-eyed, took my hand in hers, and told me she’d been praying to find purpose as she grew older and didn’t feel needed anymore. The Lord had heard our prayers, seen our tears, pricked a dear woman’s heart to reach out to a tired young mom, and brought us together.
Despite our nearly forty-year age gap, she continues to be one of my dearest friends and we still meet regularly for breakfast. Her gift to me is the beautiful lesson that when I’m feeling lonely or unsure of my purpose, it may very well be that the Lord is preparing my heart to reach out to someone I need to invite into my life. And I want to encourage your heart if you’ve experienced feelings of loneliness in your ministry, you simply never know whose answered prayer your invitation to breakfast may be.
Sister, if you need a listening ear, my table is open.
Melissa Flanagan | Huntsville, AL
Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. – Romans 12:12-13
