The "Wish it'd been that ways"

Stepping away from the "responsibilities" of my role here in LaGrange has afforded me the opportunity to do some of those "I wish I'd made it be that way before now" experiences.  Dinners with friends that I haven't shared a meal with in quite some time.  The opportunity to thank the people I've worked with out loud and in their presence instead of just kinda in smaller, out of the way manners.  The value that these last few Sunday nights have had with our high school students.  

This morning I read the passage from Luke 14 where Jesus told the story of the Great Banquet.  Here was an opportunity for honored guests to be in the presence of the King as well as to experience the blessing of friends gathered together in celebration.  And yet many of the invited guests passed on the King's invitation because they were too busy.  Busy with things that, although they had some value, in the scheme of a lifetime, could have been put off, or in one case, could have been an opportunity to bring someone along to experience the pageantry of the King's banquet.

I wonder how many times I have missed out on being in the presence of Jesus just because I didn't take the time to accept a friends offer of sharing a dinner table.  I wonder how many Sunday nights that I missed the blessing of the Lord's presence because, even though the students were at our house, I didn't see what Jesus was doing for me and in me because they were there.  I wonder how many times the Lord would have been honored if I'd taken the time to just say to the people around me what Jesus has done in me because of our shared time at work, at practice, at conferences together, or whatever.  

See, Jesus blesses us when we are in His presence.  There can be the direct blessing of just being with Him.  But there is also the indirect blessing that comes from Him through others.  And I just think that now more than ever I want to be that conduit of His blessing to others as we meet new people in our neighborhood and community.  I want to make sure that the busyness of life doesn't sabotage the meetings with the King that Jesus wants me to have with others.

And for those who we've missed those gatherings with over the years, I'm doubly sorry.  I'm sorry for the time we didn't get to spend together.  And I'm even more sorry because I know you would have been the conduit of the presence of Jesus into my life, and I didn't give you that opportunity.