Recently, I decided that I wanted a holiday dinner to be an opportunity for a return to elegance. It seemed to me that it had been way too long since I had set an elegant table. The last several years we’ve been more about busy and convenience than anything else. As I analyzed the hectic holiday activity, my heart’s desire was to model elegance once again to my children. And I realized that my grandchildren were not seeing elegance modeled in their homes.
Today, it seems that families think they are too busy to participate in moments of elegance. I don’t want this for my grandchildren. Because children spill and drop things, it seems allowable to dismiss elegance for convenience. The use of paper plates keeps clean up simple...we reason.
Children are not learning how to put a napkin in their laps. Children are not learning to respect the fine china. And they are not getting to experience the awe of seeing a beautiful table set for a special event. Nor or they learning to sit at the table and converse after the meal is finished. They eat, hop up and go play. After dinner conversation is another opportunity for elegance. Too many meals are being eaten in front of the television.
Elegance is defined as the quality of being elegant; dignified richness and grace, as of design (polished) refined grace as in manners. Elegant is defined as luxurious and opulent in a refined, tasteful manner.
The most important aspect of these definitions is “the quality of being”. The beauty of elegance is that luxuriousness and opulence can come via simplicity. While money can purchase many beautiful things that may or may not be elegant, elegance is not dependent on money.
Elegance is more than money or style. Elegance in living is a state of being…a manifestation of an inner spirit of beauty, balance and grace. Elegance often looks like it just happened. Not so. It requires a plan and effort, and a commitment to doing whatever is required to live in elegance. And it’s worth it. Elegance treats the home, heart, person, spirit, moments, events, and holidays like royal guests…like angels from heaven.
Elegance starts with the awareness that we are called into elegance by our God. We are created for elegance…look at the description of heaven. The description of the tabernacle is full of elegance. God said that the world would know about Him because His people were rich, lived elegant lives and worshipped in a beautiful sanctuary. Living lives of richness and elegance was to be the witness of a powerful God. It was to cause others to consider that they, too, might have this type of relationship with the God of Heaven. It was meant to draw others into the beauty of relationship living with God and man.
This week, give some thought about how you can bring elegance into your life. It can be as simple as a special dinner served with candlelight and music on a blanket on the floor. Initiate conversation about ideas…not people or problems. Draw your children into the process by asking them about their day. Model gratitude…show them how to say, I’m thankful for… Do this with a joyful heart even if it’s been a long day. That also is a model of elegance.
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