It happened the other day. I had gone out for lunch and took for granted the person who was my wait staff person. I did not intend to pay less attention or even to be somewhat dismissive of the person but I was hungry. Perhaps you are the same way sometimes when you are waiting to eat or you missed breakfast or any number of things that cause us to "skip" a meal. It was not the fault of my server that I had done these things. But they were at the top of their game.
Pretty much I wanted to be seated, get some coffee and head on out to the buffet area for breakfast. Our server came to greet us, welcoming us to the restaurant, and then launched courteously into a description of what amazing things awaited us on the brunch serving area. It is that person's job to do all of these things and to encourage us to try the more unusual fare that has been cooked up--the very items that make eating at this particular restaurant worth the trip.
And so, our server began a rather interesting description, or perhaps warning, about the soup of the day. If I am honest, my mind really thought "Who cares about soup?" The description continued as we discovered that we needed to know that this was a cold soup ("great" said my brain) and that it had special New Hampshire strawberries from a farm up North. An overview of the importance of the farm's organic production was glossed over as well. Fortunately, before I could growl out a hasty "We'll have the brunch," another person arrived with our coffee. Part one of my morning needs was already being met.
Now, what does any of this have to do with anything you may ask..
As I tried this strawberry soup, I had to admit that it was fabulous. I began to wish I had paid more attention to the waiter's description. And, I did what we all do on occasion, I made a point of telling our server how really good it was and thanked them for telling us about it. We asked more pointed questions about the dish as well. We engaged in a conversation about strawberry soup. I think it was a first.
Experiences with God are, I think, much like this. God comes to us in all sorts of ways and we least expect that there is some aspect of grace that we are receiving. We simply take it and later realize how very sweet and amazing it was, perhaps wishing we had paid more attention to the person who shared this with us.
Discovering a life in Christ is like that too. Sure we may stop by to say "hello" to one another, be nice to each other, show interest in one another, but we must work really hard to be truly hospitable to one another. It is more than just being nice to people. It is about being truly joyful about the interaction, truly thankful for that brief moment where we discover the holiness of living in community with one another.
Strawberries are just coming into season here in New Hampshire. I can't think of a better way for us to remember the sweetness of God's love for us, the overwhelming sensation of a juicy strawberry as it bursts with flavor can be a reminder of the amazing grace liberally applied to all aspects of our lives. Hospitality and openness in community bursts out into our own world as well. This week, consider how the sweetness of God's grace can burst out through your actions wherever you may be.
You're welcome....
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