I remember planning for my sister's wedding years ago. The movie Father of the Bride had just been released so we obviously were obsessed with it, especially my dad. The scene at the end where George Banks is sitting in his wedding mess reminiscing on the whole affair reminded me about my own party I had at my parents home just recently.
That's how it ended. Sitting it my own party mess reminiscing over the day at 3am. There seems nothing much sweeter to me than to bless so many people I love by hosting a party for them. While I had been planning over the festivities the previous 4 days, I was truly enjoying the whole experience. I wanted to make the party bigger and better. I only wished I had more time to make a better party and invite pretty much every single person I ever knew and even some I didn't.
And then the experience reminded me of something even better. I know God is planning away and making all the necessary preparations and setting up His banqueting table for the biggest party that we could never even fathom. Invitations have not been limited. One has been delivered to each and every person regardless of status, how well they are dressed or liked and even regardless of the deeds they have done or how much they have offended the host. Each has been given an invitation. And then He is taking His time to make it the sweetest most spectacular event and offering time for each to choose whether or not to show up to the party.
I think sometimes it's right to be extravagant in blessing others. I know I held back from doing more to bless my guests from fear of spending too much money or too much time over it just like George Banks and his wedding. He fretted over bouquets, tuxes and even superfluous hot dogs and buns.
But it is good to learn how to love extravagantly because Jesus demonstrated that He isn't concerned with the cost of complete love.
And His love is and His soon to come banquet will be extravagant.
"He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love."
Song of Solomon 2:4
Confession: One of the things that blessed me the most was seeing all the crazy kids have TONS of fun finding all the Easter eggs, making minefields of firecrackers, painting henna tattoos that say "popcorn", getting cavities from the candy, fighting over the glow sticks, writing me crazy Valentines, discovering all of the April Fool's jokes, setting things on fire with sparklers, stickers all over their faces and falling off the slackline.
