Let’s take a moment and think back to grade school. Do you remember when people would have birthday parties and they would bring invitations to school to hand out? Was there ever a time when you didn’t get one of those coveted invitations? How did that feel? Was there a time when you received an invitation, but another of your friends didn’t? How did that make you feel? Was there ever a time when you were the inviter and the one who left someone off the invitation list? How did you feel then?
This morning I am thinking about invitations, and how powerful they are. I have been living in Gulf Shores for a little over fourteen months now. Leaving a town you have lived in for more than 25 years, a town in which you knew people and were known by people and heading someplace where you know very few people and no one really knows you is quite the adjustment. And when you do this during a pandemic, it makes it even harder to make connections and meet people.
But from the beginning, there have been people who have offered me invitations.
The first football game of last year, I was kind of dreading because I knew no one. But a phone call from the mom of one of Ty’s new friends, and an invitation to find her and sit with her made me feel welcomed, and that invitation led to other invitations to get to know more fellow band parents.
As I have been around the neighborhood, there have been various neighbors that have invited conversation and neighborly relationships as we live in this area together.
The church at which I pastor is full of people who have invited me into their lives.
My colleagues in the Presbytery have been wonderful at welcoming me not only into ministry here, but into relationship with one another.
A simple message I sent to someone led to an invitation to join a gym that has led to invitations of friendship – both inside and outside of the gym.
On my day off this week, I was messaging with one of my gym friends and mentioned I was headed to the beach. She told me that one of the people I had met at the gym was also headed to the beach and I should message her.
And I started to have significant anxiety. I thought about how I barely know this gal. I thought about how it would feel if she didn’t respond to my message at all. I thought about how awkward it could be if we met up and then didn’t have anything to chat about. And then I made a decision and sent a message of invitation to her.
Guess what? She responded. She was excited about the prospect of hanging out. She found me at the beach and for the next couple of hours we laid in the sun, played in the surf, watched countless manta rays swim around us, and talked about everything from our children which happen to be the same ages, to our work, and all kinds of stuff in between.
I left the beach completely filled with joy and contentment. Yes, the beach has that affect on me, but it was also the result of an invitation – first someone inviting me to reach out to someone, and second, me being willing to be vulnerable enough to extend said invitation.
There have been many invitations that I have experienced and extended over the last year or so: invitations to serve, invitations to get acquainted, invitations to gather, invitations to health; and my life has been enriched because of these invitations.
Invitations are powerful in our lives – both those that we extend to others and those that are extended to us. Invitations provide opportunities for us to grow, to learn, to connect, and ultimately to love.
How have invitations impacted your life? How have you reached out to others in invitation? What invitation do you need to extend today?