October 7th, 2020

by | Oct 7, 2020 | PS from PS | 0 comments

ps from ps… “But sometimes we aren’t ready”

Yesterday as Pastor Julius led the prayers as we recorded worship, he kept saying this phrase time after time.  “Lord we are thankful for the blessing you give, but sometimes we aren’t ready…..”  “God you call us to share our gifts in the world, but sometimes we are ready….”  “Holy Spirit, you invite us to care for the hungry and sick, but sometime we aren’t ready….”

There’s a great and challenging story in Matthew 22 about a king that hosted a banquet and invited people, but they were all distracted.  So instead of responding to the gift of this invitation, they wandered off to other things calling out to them.  And sometimes we aren’t ready.  And the king was less than thrilled about it.

I think back to the 2,147 times Michelle or I made dinner for the kids after tailoring dinner around their work, school or practice schedules and everything’s a go and you yell upstairs….”Dinnnnnnnner”…only to get the response “I’m not quite ready yet.”  (Editor’s Note: Steve may or may not have echoed the same phrase 2,147 times as he grew up)

Sometimes we aren’t ready.

And yet we continue to make dinner night after night after night.

God readies that banquet for me and you night after night, day after day, AGAIN and the invitation is coming.  It came.  And it’ll come over and over again.  Are you ready?  Am I?

Am I ready for the blessings to pour over today because they will?  How will I respond?

Am I ready to be accepted, forgiven and loved for just being me, because I am?  How will I respond?

Am I ready to maximize and cherish the relationships surrounding me, not waiting until someone’s wake or funeral to say/share all the good stuff?  How will I respond?

Am I ready to let go of the hate, acknowledge my privilege, and listen with love?  How will I respond?

Or will I today, like the others who were distracted, walk away from this gift because I’m not ready.

Today a banquet is prepared for you – love, grace and compassion is served from a Savior who went to the cross to show it.  Will you be ready?

Lord, help me to be ready to respond.  Amen

Still in One Peace,
ps