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My wife, Becky, is an amazing woman. The smartest thing I ever did, aside from accepting Christ as my Savior, was to marry her. My children agree. She recently turned sixty. She doesn't look it. She still has the glow of youth about her; at least that's the way I see her, and, again, my children agree along with the grandchildren. I decided that I wanted to throw her a great big celebration for her birthday and have people come that she wouldn't expect. Parties like that are a lot of work, but my children said they would help so we forged ahead with the plans.

The biggest challenge was the invitations. I sent out a lot of invitations via emails but still had a number of people to reach the standard mail way. When you do something like this you kind of know beforehand who probably will and won't make the effort to show, or even send a card. Due to a limited amount of funds, cards were sent to churches instead of the individuals in those churches to invite them to come. Approximately forty people showed up for the party and almost sixty sent cards. There were some surprises and then there were some not-so surprises.

Becky's former roommate from Kentucky Christian College came, along with her husband. Both of Becky's sisters and almost their entire families also came. A family from our ministry in Bellville, Ohio, also came and brought a bunch of cards from the church there. My former home church minister also came as he has known Becky since the late 70s. We received cards from several people from the churches we have served both here in Kentucky and Ohio. However, the people that I figured wouldn't extend the effort to come didn't. They're the ones that we have gone to see and visit within the years past, but they have never really been to visit with us. I don't know; is it disappointing when the people you expect to disappoint you, disappoint you?

"A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready.' But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.' And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.' Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.' And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.' Then the master said to his servant, 'Go out into the highways and the hedges, and command them to come in, that my house may be filled.' " Luke 14:16-23

God has planned a huge party in heaven and He has invited everybody who will to come. A lot of people, like you and I, have said, "Yes," to the invitation. Or maybe you haven't? Maybe you're one of those who has better things to do with your time, like check out a piece of ground in the dark or test drive five yoke of oxen just before bedtime. Or maybe it's something more important, such as live your life without boundaries and look out for "Number One." After all, you have time. Yeah, that's what I thought two years ago. According to my doctors, I may have six to eight months to live. But I'm a Christian; have been for forty-eight years. I'm concerned about you. God has issued the invitation. Won't you come to His Son, Jesus, for salvation? Won't you come to the party?

"God's Words For US" from Cecelia Lester

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