This past fall, Heather McAnear reached out to myself and several other women within our church body about sharing some of our giftings or hobbies as an activity to get to know other women within the church. When she approached me, I felt unworthy and like her specific request felt a little ambiguous and I wasn’t sure how to even present it; not to mention if anyone would even be interested in signing up!
Thankfully, I got to do my skill share alongside my identical twin sister/best friend/nextdoor neighbor/fellow collaborator in doing all of the delicious/pretty things together that we can! Our group was titled “Elevating the Everyday Meal.” We love to cook but we also appreciate the presentation of our meals and the intimacy of gathering around the table with loved ones.
The group that signed up for our class was varied in age as well as a mix of women we knew and some we had not had the pleasure of meeting until that night. When they arrived, I confessed that I mildly facebook creeped on those I didn’t know just to make sure I knew who was coming to my home but I did not do a deep dive on anyone. Megan (the aforementioned best friend and collaborator) and I certainly had notes of things we wanted to talk about and referenced them some but also allowed the night to be organic based on our group and their interests and their level of comfort in the kitchen. I remember being slightly worried that people might not feel it was worth their time or that what I was sharing seemed insignificant or silly; but no one made me feel that way and I think everyone enjoyed their time together and getting to know new people. Perhaps they left with a new nugget of wisdom or insight but, if not, we had fun!
We wanted everyone to leave with something from the night and we talked a lot about the affect that something as simple as lighting can have on the ambiance and general mood (i.e. lighting candles even if its not a fancy meal or using table lamps for a similar effect). We also provided some bites to eat that were finished with a flake salt that we love to use. We gifted each person a small jar of said Maldon flake salt along with a votive candle and a favorite recipe using the salt as a finishing touch. While it wasn’t OUR original intent, we realized before the class that we were giving them “salt and light” and how perfect as we are called to be salt and light in Scripture.
Meet the Author!
Megan Mathews is a former art teacher who now fills her days with teaching and loving on her three children. She enjoys using her art background on various design projects. Megan adores time with her husband, Sundays with her family, good coffee and cuisine, quiet moments in creation, and making memories with her littles.
Elizabeth Fleming is a wife and proud momma. She loves cooking, going on adventures with her husband, and is unashamedly obsessed with her children and their adorable cousins.