Making Space for God

I love a clear kitchen counter. A clutter-free table. Surfaces clean. No visual chaos. 

Before a meal, before a conversation, before a group gathers—these small acts of preparation say something meaningful is about to happen here. This I savor. 

As we pause this Thanksgiving week, the clear, expectant table feels especially right. Gratitude itself is a way of making space—of remembering, noticing, and preparing our hearts for what God is doing among us.

Paying Attention

When we pause to notice, we begin to see the traces of God’s faithfulness all around us—the relationships that sustain us, the moments that have shaped us, the quiet ways the Spirit has been present when we didn’t realize it.

Setting the Table

But paying attention is only the beginning. Something powerful happens when we set the table for others—when we create a safe, hospitable space. 

I’m a big fan of a few intentional questions to guide conversation. Interestingly, I’ve found it is among groups who are more familiar with each other when the intentional questions shift what we talk about, taking us to unexplored places with each other.

The art of setting the table well is at the heart of our VP3 work together. Every circle, every Journey group, every mentoring conversation is, in its own way, an act of thanksgiving—an offering of space and presence where God’s story can unfold anew.

Grateful for our Friends

This year, we at VantagePoint3 find ourselves deeply thankful—for all the like-minded friends who pay attention to others, set the table expectantly, and ultimately make space for God. 

Through our refreshed Journey materials and this new season of training, we’re feeling enlivened and refreshed ourselves. Jesus’ stunning story within the VantagePoint3 story has been anything but ordinary. 

From all of us at VantagePoint3, thank you for being part of this story. May this ministry continue to be a place to contribute AND a place to grow. 

 Join Us in Making Space →

Practice: A Thanksgiving Reflection

“Gratitude itself is a way of making space—of remembering, noticing, and preparing our hearts for what God is doing among us.”

Before the end of the week is filled with conversation and food and travel, take a few quiet moments to make space for God. Find a place where you can pause—perhaps before the table is set, or after the meal has ended.

May your Thanksgiving table—and every table you set—become a place of deep gratitude and renewed awareness in light of the stunning story of Jesus.

And as Advent begins, may your table—literal and spiritual—become a place of remembering, noticing, and preparing our hearts for what God is doing among us.

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Pamela Edwards, PhD, serves VantagePoint3 Ministries by thinking about best practices for Adult Learning and Growth, with a particular eye on developmentally minded leaders. She co-authored A Mentoring Guide: Christ. Conversation. Companionship (VP3, 2019)