Reflection on Round Table

Emma Price

Monday’s for a lot of people notoriously mean a jolting 5:00 or 6:00 a.m. wake up call, long lists of to-do’s already forming in heads, the weight of worry and stress placed on tired shoulders, and a reminder that the sweetness of the weekend is oh so far away. I would be lying if I said that for most of my life I haven’t experienced Mondays in this way. Yet Fellows has remolded that part of the week for me through round table, a Monday night gathering as a group where we share a meal, talk (maybe too much), and listen. While the start of the week often feels like it’s dragging me down, I have found that starting a part of the week with intentional community pulls me up. It reminds me that laughter, great food, learning, and caring for each other should not be saved for untired times like the weekend. I believe it’s in our “Monday” moments when we need those things the most. Though we worship together every round table, I remember one specific night, after a particularly hard day, I decided to close my eyes and not sing. I listened to my fellow Fellows, letting their voices wash over me, focusing on them and God, blocking everything else out. It felt like the sun on my face after winter or a tight hug from a friend. Though round table moments such as this do not cure all ails, they give me strength, comfort, a reminder to not live for the weekend, and a reminder that the Lord is holding my hand as I walk through the rest of the week.