I think this is a fact: Everyone loves to be invited. Whether it’s to a party or an outing, a basketball game or just hanging out, even the way someone treats you when you’re in their presence speaks to the level of invitation they are extending. We love knowing that someone wants us to be with them. It just feels good.
I love inviting people over to our house. To me there’s nothing like being hospitable or hosting a party. The goal in this is creating comfort for whoever is over. You know that ‘I belong here’ feeling where you can be somewhere or with someone and it just feels good? There doesn’t have to be an agenda or entertainment, but being together just seems right and nice? I love that and I crave relationships like this-ones that move beyond invitation and into a knowing intimacy.
Since it’s the last week of school at BSSM, one of our teachers, Kris Vallotton, encouraged us in attaining our dreams and walking into our destiny by knowing who is inside of us. He said:
He had us close our eyes and picture Jesus. There are hundreds of different ways people could picture Jesus. He could be working with wood, walking on water, spending time with prostitutes, hanging on a cross, feeding the multitudes, or just staring into your eyes.
And stare is what he did to me. 🙂 I saw Jesus looking intently into my eyes the way a husband would to a wife. He took my face into his hands and just smiled at me, his eyes not moving from mine. I could feel him drawing me in, inviting me into a deeper place of intimacy with him. It was intense…but really quite comfortable too. It’s what I always want from him-an invitation.
Jesus to me is an intimate friend and a comfortable place-of course he’s all those other amazing things at the same time, but to me he’s a safe place. And I believe that part of my destiny is to be a safe place for others as well. I think a large part of my future will involve creating environments for people to flourish in, inviting them to a place where they can be known.
I’d urge you to take just 5 minutes and picture Jesus. Simply ask-who is Jesus to me? And see what he shows you. If he’s hanging out with the poor and brokenhearted, you probably won’t feel fulfilled in life unless you’re doing the same thing. If he’s healing the sick and casting out demons, you too will probably help lead people into health and wholeness. Who is Jesus to you? What does that say about your destiny? And what steps can you take now to move you closer into realizing that?
I would LOVE comments below about what he showed you!
