AuburnChick's Adventures

A lesson was imprinted on my heart today.

That lesson was, yet again, one of trust.

You’ll recall that I signed up to play hostess to a table of eight ladies at my church’s annual retreat.

You’ll also recall the before and after pictures from yesterday.

The luncheon was today, and I’ll admit that a bit of nervousness still lingered as I approached the tent.

The sight that greeted me was simply amazing.  Every table had been set, and members of the youth group, along with a good number of men, were quickly placing food trays at every place setting.

The smell of hot food made my stomach growl.  I had gotten up a bit earlier to knit the last napkin ring. Yeah, I know.  I was kind of pushing it, but I just didn’t have time to finish earlier.

I made my way to my table and was surprised to discover that the glaring white spaces on my table had been magically filled in.  Here’s what I saw…

Every place at my table had been spoken for.  In fact, I had forgotten to place my own name beside a plate, so I had no idea where I was going to sit.  It was a problem I wasn’t sure how to resolve, but I didn’t fret too much about it.

As I wandered around looking at the other tables, I happened to glance down at one particular place setting at just the right time.  Lo and behold, there was my name tag…at someone else’s table!

Uh oh…now what was I going to do?

I spied the table hostess putting finishing touches on something, so I explained that my name had mistakenly been placed at her table…that I was hosting my own.  I didn’t want her to worry when she saw an empty chair.

Name tag in hand, I went back to my own table.

Nothing had changed at my table.  I still had eight names claiming their spots.

Oh well.  I didn’t worry.

As the guests arrived, they began to make their way to their respective tables.  My ladies came in a group.  They were all from the same church and were, thus, good friends.  As they glanced down at the name tags, they commented about two names.  One lady had been taken to the hospital last night, so she wouldn’t be attending (she’s okay though).  Another lady was also going to be absent.

One of the ladies called out to another who happened to be passing by.  She offered one of the empty chairs to her, and she sat down quickly.  That left one empty spot.

I waited a few minutes, but nobody came to fill it.

I took ownership of it at that point.

Problem solved.  God had worked it out, just as He always does.  All I had to do was wait.

As I tended to my ladies, they were gracious and commented favorably on my table decor, inquiring if I “crafted.”  I assured them that yes, in fact I did.  I gave credit to Ms. M, who had made two of the cloths.  They expressed their appreciation for the time I spent making the napkin rings and other items.

What a wonderful hour we spent together.  I proudly watched the teenagers walk through, offering their services as they passed each table.  This retreat would not have been successful without their help.  Many had already assisted in the nursery and had even stayed late the night before washing dishes and taking out the trash.  Soccer Chick and Rooster were among them, and I was proud to claim them as they made their way past me today.

I don’t consider myself a very social person (I can hear my friend, Figaro, protesting loudly).  I’m really not, though.  I am very uncomfortable with the “Meet and Greet’ time during the service.  I don’t do small chat very well.  However, today was different.  It was like a sisterhood.  We all oohed and aahed over each other’s tables.  What a wonderful support system.
During the course of the morning, I had the opportunity to chat with a friend of a friend whose child attends the school I work at.  We discovered that we have several things in common, including our tendency to forget the names of even our closest friends…at the most inopportune times, like when we’re introducing them to other friends.  Stage fright is what I called it.  We agreed, on the spot, that we would, henceforth, get along just fine.

Another friend made today.

What an awesome day!

God helped me conquer my fear of not fitting in.  It’s one that I’ve carried with me for years and years and years.

I can’t say that the fear has been conquered permanently as I know I’ll try to take ownership of it again or use it as an “excuse” not to do something.  However, I have a strong suspicion that the Holy Spirit will call to mind this experience as a reminder that God goes before me, preparing the way, every time He asks me to step out of my comfort zone.

And the neatest thing is that He is waiting to receive me, if only I take those steps.  I’m not walking into “No Man’s Land.”  It’s His arms that encircle me, just as Jesus met Peter when he stepped out of the boat that stormy night and walked on water.

Steps of faith.  That’s what comprises most of this Christian walk.  It’s scary but so worth the effort…just like decorating the table this week.

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