Pot Luck or Pot Blessings -- It's About Hospitality

I am an experienced "Pot Luck" covered-dish toter. I can't begin to tell you how many covered dishes, salads, main dishes and desserts I have made over the many years of my church-going or friends-celebrating-together life. And less I offend some of my sweet Bible-toting friends with the "luck" part of pot luck, I also refer to those amazing food-out-of-control events as "Pot Blessings". I can't think of any times when there were too much of one food item, because the cooks, I'm quite sure, are inspired from Heaven Central when they plan out their culinary treat.

Truly they are blessings because we are sharing a "family" meal together to celebrate our friendship with each other and our friendship with Jesus. I witness that every month when I attend a wonderful fellowship group in my community. This fellowship group's common language is kindness, generosity, love -- or better put, it's about Jesus. We literally break bread, chicken, and all kinds of other goodies together. You don't hear talk about politics, the economy, complaints about what's going on here or there or everywhere. You just hear positive people talking about positive things.

Christ started that fellowship when He broke bread with His disciples. Coming together to celebrate Him in us and us in Him. Some of my favorite memories involve yummy food and sharing God's love and caring like this. Scripture shows us how important it was to God for us to break bread together. Acts 2:42,46: "They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart."

When we share our gifts, talents and ordinary household meals and items to bless and serve others, we aren’t just being nice. We’re being obedient to God’s Word as this verse says: “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:9-10).

Our aim should be the same for everyone. We shouldn't offer hospitality — or a home-cooked meal — to impress others. Instead, we want to refresh them. To give them a place where they can relax and unwind. To provide a setting where they can talk and question and contemplate. When we offer hospitality with gusto, without grumbling, or complaining, or fretting over our not-so-nice-anymore home or stuff, we are doing exactly what pleases God — using our gifts for His glory.

Where Two Shall Agree.....

I’m in my cozy chair all set for my morning devotion and prayer time and I remember the sweetest surprise last weekend. My dear friends, Charles and Sheila Michie, invited several mutual friends over for a pot luck meal. Little did I realize it was a set-up to celebrate my birthday (26th). I was so grateful for this precious time of, literally, breaking bread together.

Christ started that fellowship when He broke bread with His disciples. Coming together to celebrate Him in us and us in Him. Some of my favorite memories involve yummy food and sharing God's love and caring like this. Scripture shows us how important it was to God for us to break bread together. Acts 2:42,46: "They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart."

Like that scripture says "breaking of bread, and in prayers", that's how it played out for us Saturday night. Following our meal, we headed to the Great Room where we sang and praised God that led right into individual prayer for each of us. At one point, I sensed the importance of the prayer of agreement for couples and for any of us who need a prayer of agreement. That kind of prayer is similar to a contract. I know what it means to have a binding contract having been in the real estate business for over 40 years. Contracts are the tool used to legally bind the parties in agreement to the specific terms and acts.

An executed contract is a done deal like Jesus' words in Matthew 18:20 about agreement -- when we take those words to heart and action. “I tell you, if two of you on earth AGREE about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.” That, my friends, is a 3-fold agreement contract. A husband, wife AND God the Father. A friend, another friend AND God the Father. Think about this tremendous tool God has given us. So when I hear someone say “I set myself in agreement with your prayer – maybe for a desire for a better job, the well-being of a child or family member, or wisdom coming when making a big decision -- an agreement is taking place. Bottom line – because we’ve initiated a binding contract, we will NOT come out of agreement with them.

It is beautiful when a couple joins hands, prays and agrees together. The answer to that prayer is not up to us. It is up to Jesus’ words that when we agree in prayer, in the presence of God, it will be done by our Father in His perfect timing and His perfect way. Especially, when couples are able to breakout of their stand-off when they are in dis-agreement and come together in solidarity IN agreement, mountains move, waters are parted and heaven touches earth. I assure you….I speak from the many answers to prayer that my husband and I received because of our agreements in prayer.

The enemy desires for us to get into dis-agreements because he comes to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10). But, Jesus came to give us abundant life and has given us the “how-to” by staying IN-agreement with Him and each other. Imagine the walls coming down in our marriages, our families, our businesses, our finances, and our health as two come together in unity and in agreement. Nothing is impossible with God, when we agree.

An Icebreaker Became a Memory Maker

Our interdenominational fellowship group came together in my community on Tuesday night for another pot luck meal and time of fellowship. There is always an entertaining or thought-provoking time after dinner. This week we had five icebreaker questions to discuss at our table. I sat by my cousins and there were two other couples at our table. Naturally, for the couples, they answered the questions with each other in mind. For example, question one was “If stranded on an island, what 3 things (or people) would you want to have with you and why?” Each one of the couples gave as one of their three as each other. Widow Donna came up with a hatchet, water, and a ladder (I need help climbing a tree!). I’ve watched “Survivor” episodes so I know what I'd need on a deserted island.

The one question that gave me pause and introspection was “If you could live one year from your life again, which one would you go back to?” The couples’ answers were beautiful: “Going back to the first church that we pastored in Fayetteville, AR that began in our home and grew exponentially.” Another couple talked about the year that their first child was born, and the other talked about the year when he returned from Vietnam to come home to his wife and baby. Then it was my turn. I had plenty of time to consider it and, without a doubt, it would be the last year of my husband’s life that I would want a do-over.

You see, my sweetheart was a muscle-bound, picture of health and strength, full of the joy of living and sharing God’s love in ministry and counseling. We had traveled a lot and had the thrill of precious times with our children and grandchildren. Life was good. Then, came the day when we received the diagnosis of Stage 4 Kidney Cancer that changed everything. Life came to an all-consuming 24/7 endeavor to get him healed. If it had been God’s will, he would still be around today because with all the treatments, surgeries, interventions, and most of all, the prayers from around the world, it was his time.

This is what I shared with our group. I would have stopped being Martha – doing, doing, doing and I would have stopped to embrace every second that I had with my Love. I would have spent every waking moment laughing about our puppy love romance at ages 12 & 13 and some of the crazy things we did together. I would have talked more about all that God had blessed us with in the past than continuing to figure out that awful disease. We both knew he was in God’s hands and it would have been so much better to have trusted implicitly for the outcome than all the going here and there and everywhere. I would have sat with him patiently at the dinner table and just talked and talked instead of hurrying to get the dishes cleaned up so quickly. I would have thanked God for the ups and downs that we survived and even thrived through. Actually, I’ve added a little more than what I actually said in that group, but what I did say to them, as couples, to live each day as if this were the last with each other. Love each other deeply.

Since we can't do do-overs -- the best way to live life on this side of heaven is to take each day -- one day at a time -- and live it as though it were our last -- living with no regrets -- embracing and loving those around us with intensity, gratitude and gusto. Living in the light of eternity -- helping take as many others with us to heaven. My Love is waiting for me there. I look forward to introducing you to him one day!

Excuse Me! Could I Have Your Undivided Attention, Please?

This photo may look familiar. It should because I was in this very spot two years ago. I’m back in Tulsa for a few days that lead up to my mother-in-law’s 96th birthday on Wednesday. After my home sold two years ago, I stayed at a dear friend’s home for another six weeks because I had speaking engagements and other responsibilities here. I am back in this sweet spot and I get to enjoy this little piece of heaven again. This city holds so many precious memories, precious people, and so many favorite places to go. It’s not a vacay, but it sure is a favorite place to be.

I sat in this very spot each morning for my morning devotions when I was here before. I’d look out across this beautiful pond that my home backed up to. I received so much peace and comfort in this spot. I like to think that God also enjoyed my stay here because He got my undivided attention.

I wonder how God must feel about the lack of our attention because I get a little frustrated when I don’t receive full attention when I’m with someone. I can be having a nice conversation with someone, and then their phone rings or dings and, without even a second thought, they leave me hanging while they answer their phone or text message. Okay! I'll admit it. I've been on both sides....the one singing "All By Myself" while others were heads down in their phones and I've been the one with my head down in MY phone. What in the world? Where did our respect for others go? I'm ashamed of us!! It's time for putting those phones in another room or turning them off so we can get back to what's REALLY important -- being a sincere, caring, and respectful friend and family member.

Even worse is how disrespectful we can be to God. We can be right in the middle of sweet fellowship with Him when our phone dings and we can’t resist checking to see what that text message is all about. After all, it could be the plumber, the friend that we’re meeting later or one of our children or grandchildren who might need us. Right? But, oh so WRONG! We can be fully engaged in conversation with our Heavenly Father and our Savior Who gave His life for us and we allow ourselves to be interrupted. Sound familiar? God must be tapping His fingers on the arm of His royal throne as He tenderly and lovingly says “Excuse Me....could I have your undivided attention, please? I have secrets to reveal and plans to give you for your good.”

Just look at the object in this photo that the enemy of our souls uses to steal our alone time with our Best Friend, our Father, and our CEO? There it is, smack dab in the middle, instead of away from being a distraction to my one-on-one time with my royal guest. Jesus sat the example for us in Mark 1:35-36 "And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He departed and went out to a DESOLATE PLACE, and there He prayed."