There I sat. In a meeting room filled with over 100 businesspeople, members of the Chamber of Commerce in a distant city.
They had come to hear our state’s U.S. Senator speak about business issues affecting them. I had come to say, “Thank you” to this man of influence who had tried to help our medical mission, Samaritan’s Touch Care Center.
IRS approval of our 501(c)(3) status had dragged on for almost nine months. He had tried to unplug the bottleneck. It hadn’t worked. But I wanted to thank him for trying.
Even though I had never met him.
So there I sat. In the back corner of this meeting room, hundreds of miles away from the fledgling organization he had tried to help. I had driven several hours to get there. For what I expected would be a sixty-second handshake.
Until the Senator arrived and took his place at the front of the room. And his chief of staff came to find me in the back. And said the words I never expected to hear:
“Would you like to have lunch with the Senator?”
Would I??? Hmm… Should I pray about that first??? 🙂
I already had my food, as did most everybody in the room. So I picked up my plate and followed this chief of staff from the back of the room to the front of the room. All the way to the empty chair right next to the Senator. With 100 sets of eyes watching me, wondering who I was…
… and why I had been given this coveted privilege. Just like in Your Word, Lord!
“When you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests.'” (Luke 14:10)
The “why” and the “how” of all this were because of You, Lord. So I could spend the next forty-five minutes telling this Senator about You!
That’s when I realized at least one reason why the IRS approval had been bottlenecked! 🙂
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20)
The many lives saved through Samaritan’s Touch? And maybe even this one Senator?. 🙂
Which brings me back to yesterday, Lord, When You used that timeless scripture to dredge up a ten-year-old memory. And to give me new Food for Thought for today’s nourishment.
What seat am I trying to gain today? At which table? For what purpose?
How does my behavior, as either a dinner host or guest, reflect my heart? Or where I am spiritually? Or where I need to be?
Questions worth chewing on… eh, Lord?
Abba’s Girl