We sold our table

Back in perhaps 2007 or thereabouts we saw a table at Ikea. It wasn't part of their catalogue and had no strange name. It was just a big, heavy table in very solid pine, measuring 180 cm by 100 cm, or almost 6 feet by 3 feet. We fell in love with it and bought it and it became the centre of our life for almost 20 years. 

It was where the children did their homework. It was where sewing projects were done. It welcomed family meals. It held Bible studies. It was where people ate, prayed, read and talked. It was the field where endless games were played. You could easily seat 10 people around it, and we regularly did. And more.

It moved with us from our house to our small flat, where it dominated the living room.

It then became the centre piece of our bigger flat and we put a makeshift bench at one end increasing its seating capacity. You could squeeze stools in, too.

But now we've moved once more to a smaller flat and the table is just too big.

I offered it to family and church folk, but it's a very big table, too big, too heavy, not wanted.

So it went on "the bon coin", the site where you buy and sell things.

And today it went to become the heart of the home of a fine young couple who have been married about a year and are settling in the Caudéran area.

I've got rid of countless books. My innumerable ties went years ago. But that table was really the heart of our ministry in France.

We've ordered a new, smaller one. And this time we'll have matching chairs, instead of the makeshift green plastic garden chairs we bought as a temporary measure about 15 years ago!