Out of this context, I would assume that "before" is being used as a location instead of a temporal reference. I.e. "this" referring to some kind of object; "t

Out of this context, I would assume that "before" is being used as a location instead of a temporal reference. I.e. "this" referring to some kind of object; "the food was laid before us". As a temporal reference, it's definitely valid, but it bears a somewhat highfalutin connotation. It sounds like someone who is trying to wax poetic. Not that I would fault a non-native speaker for using it; it's a very nuanced and probably subjective interpretation.