You're Invited Too!

Each morning I wake up feeling like God and I have a secret.  It's like He's inviting me to a secret party!  I wake up and tiptoe down the stairs (no idea why I'm tiptoeing), make coffee or tea, open my iPad to read a devotion followed by my bible, then I just sit and listen.  I hear the birds singing, I see the trees swaying, I see the moon packing up to head to the other side of the globe as the sun is tiptoeing onto the scene.  (No idea why the sun is tiptoeing either.  It's just how we roll!)  It feels much like an invitation from God to share something beautiful with me while having a special conversation that speaks to my heart.  To be invited into His presence is amazing!

The other day I was reading Luke 14 which tells the story of Jesus eating in the house of a prominent Pharisee on the Sabbath.  He tells the host “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.  But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.  Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

He then goes on to tell the parable of a man who threw a great banquet and all of his guests declined, so he told his servants to go out into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, the lame.  Even after they had done this, they came back and reported there was still room for more. 

As it is in the presence of God, there's always room for more!  The "more" is you and I, your neighbor who may be hurting, the homeless person on the street who you're afraid to make eye contact with, the kid at your child's school who may not have any friends, the co-worker who seems a little distant, that friend with no family to spend the holidays with, or maybe even the check-out clerk at Target.  God invites us into His presence to feel His peace, to enjoy the beautiful nature he orchestrates daily, to talk with Him, to walk with Him, yet there's still room for more.  So as we enter this holiday season and you RSVP to His daily invitation, think about those who you could add as your "plus 1".  Those who may not have realized they too are invited.  Invite them into His presence.  Does it have to be complicated and awkward?  Certainly not!  Invite them into His presence by how you treat them.  Let the presence of God be felt as they interact with you.  Share a smile.  Share a meal.  Share love.  Let your love and kindness be a reflection of how He not only invited you, but a statement to them that says "You're invited too!"  There's still room for more.

Love Always!

Shy