Take off your mask…you are invited to your life!
First, save the date! Then months of preparation. Tonight was our company awards banquet! A masquerade ball! A beautiful venue, red carpet photos, shining star trophies, crowns, special guests, ball gowns, inspiring music, fancy food…
It always amazes me that we put so much heart and soul into this event, and still, people choose not to come.
This banquet was created to honor every single team member. The intricate details carefully designed to show appreciation and to ensure that every person knows they are truly cherished!
There is only one invitation that would kill me to refuse. For some reason, I’m tempted to turn it down all the time. There’s always going to be something that holds us back.
I get the invitation every morning when I wake up. An invitation to live a life that’s adventurous, full of whimsy…a life of purpose. It doesn’t come in a masquerade ball with shining star trophies or fancy ball gowns. It begins with a rising sun, the sound of the birds chirping, the smell of coffee drifting lazily from the Keurig in the kitchen.
It’s the invitation to actually live, to fully participate in this amazing life for one more day. Nobody turns down an invitation to the White House, but I’ve seen so many people turn down an invitation to fully live their life.
Turning down life comes in many forms. It looks like numbing yourself or distracting yourself or seeing something so beautiful as just normal. It can look like refusing to forgive or not being grateful or getting wrapped up in fear or envy. It can look like a race to create a life that fits with the world. It can be a life of pleasing people.
There’s no doubt Jesus invites us to have crazy awesome experiences in life. But, He goes above and beyond and wants to invite us to a really cool… Afterlife.
In my mind, its kind of like the White House having an Easter egg hunt, and nobody shows up. The president then sends his secret service to invite others. Commoners on the other side of the fence. Like you and me. They come to us and say, “there’s more room.” There aren’t any magic words to accept the invitation. We just need to decide to be fully engaged. We must be present. Say yes!
God doesn’t force himself on anyone. He loves us all the same. But, he’s not going to force us. Instead, He keeps looking. He keeps saying, “there’s more room.” He pays attention to our hearts and enjoys when we want to get close to Him. He knows our sadness and the brokenness we want to hide from Him, and He sends people to look for us.
Can you believe Jesus would invite people to a banquet, and they wouldn’t show up? When we show up…our life obstacles that seemed insurmountable aren’t. Impediments that we believe disqualify us don’t. When we show up to participate with Jesus in the BIG life, we’re participating with the very being who made life in the first place. He gently asks us how we are, and He invites us to get better together with Him.
Accepting the invitation is like moving from coach to first-class or from the bleachers to the field. It’s moving from developing opinions to developing options. It’s about having things matter to us enough that we stop just THINKING and actually start DOING something about them.
You are invited to participate in your own life! Once you accept the invitation to life, it’s contagious! You will want others to come to the banquet!
You are invited to live your life! Are you going to watch in fear, shame, and envy? Or are you going to say yes and participate! It’s a choice! Rest assured, He is sending people to look for you. Take off your mask…Open your heart and decide…today is the day I’m going to show up for my own life!
You are invited to participate in your life! RSVP YES!
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