Day 18: Wedding Supper

     Pat and I attended the summer wedding of a friend's daughter a few years ago.  It was lovely.  The bride was radiant and the groom, handsome and sweet.
     Pat and I arrived at the reception a little late.  It was completely my fault.  I had thought that the wedding and reception, which were being held at the same place, would be in a chilly, over air-conditioned room.  I had worn a dress with long sleeves.  The wedding was held outside in a huge tent. The temperature hovered at 95 degrees.  Pat had simply shrugged off his jacket and tie.  Between the wedding and the reception, I, already melting, had insisted we run to a nearby mall so that I could buy a more comfortable dress.  That was the fastest dress decision I have ever made!
     There we were, late and I was looking decidedly rumpled.  We found our place cards and seated ourselves at Table #9.  There were about 100 guests.  We did not know anyone, with the exception of the parents of the bride and their five lovely adult children.
     After the grand introduction and entrances were made and the happy couple had danced their first dance, our friends found us.  They laughed at my dress dilemma, then invited us to sit with them at Table #1 with their family.
   So we enjoyed the wedding in a place of honor with the family.  We laughed with the bride's brothers and listened to Grandma tell family stories.  It was a wonderful day.
     I was reminded of God's grace and how in Luke where Jesus tells the parable of sitting yourself at the lowest place at a banquet so that the host will invite you to sit at a better place, a place of honor.

When Jesus noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable:  “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.  But 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.  For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”  ~Luke 14:7-11

     Pat and I had done nothing to deserve the "better" seat, all we did was accept it.  A gift freely given.
     Soon we will be going to the wedding feast of the Lamb of God.  There the highest place will be lying low at our Redeemer's feet.  Jesus will sweetly lift us up and seat us.
     This post is Day 18 in the 31 Day Series: Welcome to My Mess.  You can read the other posts here.