One of my new favorite songs is the Crowded Table cover by Joshua Radin. Thanksgiving is a perfect time of year for this sweet song about a heart’s desire, “I want a house with a crowded table and a place by the fire for everyone.”
A crowded table is what most moms desire—especially with their kids. Father God has a mama’s heart. He offers protection “as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.” Matt. 23:37, Luke 13:34. He desires to gather all His children safely home—even when we don’t want to.
Most of my emptying-nest mom-friends are most peaceful when they know their children are safe and doing well. And there’s rejoicing when they return home.
As a young adult, I didn’t have a family or even a home to return to. Many, many years when I had nowhere to go, families opened their doors and shared their table. These shared table experiences were a gift.
This will be our third year of on-our-ownness for Thanksgiving because COVID caused a pause in our big extended-family get-togethers. I am grateful for those years. This Thanksgiving my little family of three will have a new experience. No Norman Rockwell turkey for our house—my girl is now vegetarian, so I’m going to attempt a lentil loaf with sage.
Our table won’t be crowded but our girl is home and that makes my heart sing. There will be time to grow our table over the years.
The final lines of the song say “and bring us back together when the day is done.” After listening to this song on repeat, I dreamt of our ultimate homecoming. After all is said and done, we will experience that final homecoming where we will be eternally home and feast at the banquet table He prepared for us. And that is the Father’s heart—to have us all around that crowded table. There will be no more tears and no more lack. We will dine with those we love that have gone home before us, with abundance and joy everlasting!
Happy Thanksgiving to all. May we all have something and someone to be thankful for, and may we have a table to share.
Enjoy the YouTube Crowded Table.
Lyrics to Crowded Table
Songwriters: Lori McKenna / Natalie Nicole Hemby / Brandi Marie Carlile
You can hold my hand
When you need to let go
I can be your mountain
When you’re feeling valley-low
I can be your streetlight
Showing you the way home
You can hold my hand
When you need to let go
I want a house with a crowded table
And a place by the fire for everyone
Let us take on the world while we’re young and able
And bring us back together when the day is done
If we want a garden
We’re gonna have to sow the seed
Plant a little happiness
Let the roots run deep
If it’s love that we give
Then it’s love that we reap
If we want a garden
We’re gonna have to sow the seed
Yeah I want a house with a crowded table
And a place by the fire for everyone
Let us take on the world while we’re young and able
And bring us back together when the day is done
The door is always open
Your picture’s on my wall
Everyone’s a little broken
And everyone belongs
Yeah, everyone belongs
I want a house with a crowded table
And a place by the fire for everyone
Let us take on the world while we’re young and able
And bring us back together when the day is done
And bring us back together when the day is done
Uncovered 