Invitation.

The table is prepared, guests should begin to arrive yet no knock at the door.  Preparations have been made and yet the table sits empty. Recheck the date, recheck the invites, each confirmed and still silence. As the time passes anxiety begins to overtake the situation...so much food, so much drink and not a guest in sight. Frantically, the host begins to text the invitees; each with an apology followed by an excuse as to why they were not attending. The party of the year, the invite quite exclusive; the talk of the town yet no guest to be seen, no conversation to be had, for this party is no party at all.  The food was quickly wrapped and taken to a local church who just happened to have their Christmas pageant.  Guests were invited to share a meal, so there they sat, the room filled with laughter and joy.  Moments were shared, a memory for all the night the party became an agape meal for families they shared, themselves, their stories as faith surfaced with each interaction. The church found itself in the midst of many a donation for those who care to watch the pageant, are and were filled then gave of their means so much that the church was able to feed ten families without hesitation that Christmas Day. Those who did not attend the party knew not what they missed for they were too wrapped up in themselves. They had forgotten their promise to attend, to do as they said for life had become cumbersome.  The party of the year became the party never heard, leaving the host upset and ashamed for all the preparations, all the decorations, meaningless yet not completely for the food brought together a people who claimed moments, moments of memory, moments of peace, moments of joy as they revealed their person to the stranger and the stranger becoming a friend. God has given us the invitation to His party of faith, how upset will He be if no one attends?  Life, it happens, time keeps us moving but the heart keeps us centered, it keeps us aware of moments, aware of action inspired by faith versus action eclipsed by pride. Should we side with the ego, we will quickly forget the purpose of our heart, the echo of the soul. The pride of the ego attempts to take away our connections with the Father that we may fee the need to cling to ego, to depend upon its every whim. We have been blessed with faith, this invitation to the most coveted party of eternity for it is wrapped with love as it is prepared from love thus to enter we must be love. Living our faith, living with the Father means abandoning the ego and relinquishing pride for both hold us back, they keep up from seeing that which holds the source of light, that which is the light of the Father calling us home, into His arms.  Blessed with faith we must act and react in love, knowing that we walk this world with the Father, every step we take, He takes, every thought we speak, He hears.  Faith is our invitation to life, our invitation to live with the Father, to walk with the Son, to be inspired by the Spirit. The Father has prepared the feast, it is up to us to respond in action, to act in faith, to offer to all love, to offer to ourself love as presented by the Father; without condition. We must not get so wrapped up in the tangible that we neglect the truth of our being, the Father’s words echoing within our soul. We must not be like the invited guests who RSVP of their attendance and then become a no show and later offer and excuse for our absence.  Pride needs an excuse, not faith; faith is based upon absolute truth...the truth of love, hope, peace, faith...the truths of the Father. Faith, our invite, to become the people the Father knows us to be; faith, our invite, to eternal love.  Let us not reject such an invite for a moment of pleasantries, a moment of human pride for the Father wants His banquet filled, He does not want to be the host who had no attendees for His asks only that we live our gift of faith.  In the moments that we gather, we must share our world, our heart; inviting the stranger and offering love when ego is that which is known.  Not everything planned, even then we share our world, come together as one; one heart, one breath, one moment, one people brought together by happenstance, bonded by faith. Like those who gathered in the church, we have a responsibility to be present in the Spirit, leading with the heart. There will be times when we forget about our invitation but disciplined we must be to settle the chaos of humanity with a simple silence of our being that we may hear the echo of the Father calling out our name and recall our personal invitation to His reality of love.  Our actions grant us access to His eternal party; will we be among the many or the few?  Which will be our guide: faith or pride?  Our invitation, our decision.