My grandmother recently passed away and I got to keep the placemat that she had for me. She had one of these for each of her grandchildren. They were red and white checkered with our name sewn across the top. I remember looking for my placemat at the table at family get-togethers. Without fail I would find it and take my seat. Now, grandma did not make these because she was obsessed with assigned seating, but because she wanted us to know we belonged at the table. We weren’t just invited to her house; we were invited to her table, to a specific seat that she picked out just for us. She kept several blank ones on hand in case a guest showed up. While they may not have had their names sewn into it, they still had a place at grandma’s table.
I had a thought the other day: What if grandma got to put a placemat out on the table in heaven for each person that would be there as a result of her obedience to God? Her family, her friends, her Sunday school students, campers, and all the other people whose lives she touched. She’d have quite a stack of placemats to put out. But whether grandma puts a placemat out or not, those of us who know God through Christ have a seat waiting for us in heaven. We do not simply get to heaven; we get a place prepared for us. Our names are written down, and we’re expected. Our seats are for nobody but us. God has chosen our place, thought through what fits us best, and awaits our arrival.
nwm
