So we had a party one time

 


So we had a New Years Eve Party. I think it was one of the most "fun" things we have done at the house since purchase. Rhett had originally thought it would be a good idea to have an oyster roast. The Sanch and I were hip to the idea so we set out to get it done. I think it was the most fun in the world to plan this thing. You never realize how much planning and work goes into a party for a lot of people until you start to actually plan one.

My mom and I met my cousin Mike down at the beach for the oysters. It was some good mother/son bonding. Mike took us out in his boat and we found some really huge oyster beds to get the "select" type oysters. (These type are the best and usually cost the most because they are big and snotty) We picked about 6 bushels in 2 hours and it was a lot of fun. A shrimp tried to attack me in the process, but anyway. Great time.

Back to the party. As the party got closer, I started to realize that more and more people were going to be coming. I was excited. I love people and the more the merrier is my attitude. A local "restaurant" sponsored our sweet tea and crushed ice. Some of the neighbors saw our coolers and oysters all in the driveway and kinda wondered what was going on. I invited them also. She replied that she and her husband were "kinda dorky." I then explained to her that she would fit right in with myself and friends, because we were also very dorky. She laughed.

The party ended up being a big fun ol time and we probably had between 50-60 people which was awesome. All random and different types of people. Sandy and I kinda wondered how we would "entertain" everyone but after about the first hour, I realized that people were entertaining themselves. When you have guys (Eddie) volunteer to put a helmet on and allow other guys (sanch, me, and jason) shoot fireworks at his head, that is classic and serves as good-hearted entertainment. I think I stayed up until about 5:30 that night. We brought 2006 in, very strong!

After all was said and done, I really had some just humbling thoughts about the kingdom of God. Man, there is a party coming that we cannot even imagine. The greatest party that has ever been thrown. It's in the planning stages and..well...has been since before the beginning of time. WHAT??? I like that kinda party. It's going to have the most random group of people you have ever seen. There are going to be people with funny hair, funny accents, and funny beards. There will be a smile on everyones face. It's tough as you live your daily life to really think about the future and what God's party will look like. Right now, we are in the planning stages. I've learned that some will not respond to the invitation, some will deny the invitation, some will have better things to do, and some will join full force and even begin to help in the preparation of it.

I started reading the parable of the Great Banquet. Jesus was telling a story about a guy who threw this massive party. Some of his invitees began to say they had better things to do.

See, the meal was prepared way beforehand. The party planner would decide on what type of meat to eat based on how many people were coming. If he killed a calf, 35-75 people could have eaten. The people that were invited did not want to come.

21"The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'

22" 'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.'

23"Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. 24I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.' "

The idea of giving an order to go out everywhere you can with no regard to class and get as many people as you can amazes me. Do not pick just the "white ones." Do not pick just the "black ones." Do not just pick the middle class. Actually, I would rather you pick the ones that are socially challenged and the ones that are sick, hurt, unmarried, lame, blind. Yeah those are the people I want to come to my party.

I just totally wrote a book but this idea of a coming kingdom and massive party gets to me. I think if you are the average American Christian, you probably have a stack of invitations that you have never given out. OOOOOO, He is good to us!

A friend of mine called tonight and told me that a high school friend of hers suddenly passed away at age 27. It made me think about the people in my life who I have yet given an invitation to.