Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Obedience or something like that

This last Sunday we had plans to have someone over for lunch. At the last minute, they had to cancel. That was fine, so I did not do my food prep that morning, and was looking forward to a very quiet Sunday afternoon and thoughts of a nap were sounding very inviting. This was not to be tho.

While at our place of worship, hubby felt like we should throw out an invitation for someone to come over for lunch. We had some wonderful food prepared, and so...........well to be brutally honest, neither one of us really 'wanted' to have people over, but he strongly felt like we should, and I agreed to follow what he felt . Lets be very very clear here, I had ABSOLUTELY no desire to have any one over, especially strangers that might take a lot of energy to visit with, and all this would seriously cut into my nap time. So I almost began to cry as he stands on stage and throws out the invite.
We begin to make our exit and I think 'perhaps it was just about obedience, maybe no one will take up the offer'. But then I see someone come up to us. Would her and her friend be able to come over. Well, I turn and say 'sure that would be great'. Not feeling so great about it tho.
Hubby goes over and invites another couple to come as well.

We rush home to start the food prep, and I of course rush to clean my bathroom and spot clean my floors, trying to ignore the piles of stuff waiting to be packed or given away laying around. I pour myself a stiff drink of diet coke! All the while uttering desperate breathe prayers for help and joy.

Interjection here - I really do enjoy people and I love having people over for meals, but that Sunday, I just didn't! I mean I just really really didn't. And I hated that I didn't. I felt very yucky inside, but still, it was there.

So, the door bell rings and everyone comes.

And guess what.

We had an amazing afternoon. Everyone stayed all afternoon. At one point one person said how it was a bit out of their comfort zone to come to a strangers house for lunch. Then my hubby shared how honestly it was out of obedience that we threw out the invite, but we sure were glad that we had, and how wonderful an afternoon it was turning out to be. Then the other couple shared that when he had heard the invite he knew he should come, but also had not really want to. But when hubby asked if they would come, they did in obedience.

I laughed so hard. First it was nice to know that I was not alone in how I had been feeling. But what a gift that afternoon turned out be. Some relationships were deepened, some just started. But it was real, and it was sweet. And I realized what I could have missed out on. I am a deep believer in community and relationship, yet that day it was very hard to act out on those beliefs. Part of the real gift I received was that even in the midst of not necessarily wanting it, I was still given the gift of receiving it. We all did.

So thank-you hubby for being obedient. I love you for your sweet heart.
But even more,

Thanks so much for helping with the dishes!!! hehehe

1 comment:

  1. I love this! Reminds me of Thanksgiving a couple of years ago when we invited all the church's "homeless" people for dinner - those who didn't have family in the area. We expected about 15 people in total and actually served turkey to 28! I kept praying that the meal would multiply like the little boy's loaves and fishes, because we only had a 12 pound turkey. Guess what - we even had leftovers! It was a great party.

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