My dad and I met at a local mall last night on our way to Christmas with the ASO. While my mom has sung with the group for twenty years, I'd never seen the holiday performance. So my parents bought me a ticket for my birthday. And Friday was our date.
We met early so we could grab dinner at a nearby restaurant. Dad picked Longhorn Steakhouse since he'd won several gift cards and there was one close to our rendezvous point. We left my car, drove across the street, and entered what seemed a normal place of food operation.
As we settled in, however, a waitress brought menus and said something I'd never heard a waitress say before, "Tonight is opening night so almost everything on the menu is free." She went on to name three cuts of steak that weren't included in the deal, but insisted we could order anything else we wanted, including an appetizer or dessert, free of charge.
Free, savory food. An entire menu full of choices. The richest of fair.
I haven't eaten out in that calibre of a restaurant in quite a while. To walk in and be offered the best -as a guest - made my mind wander in different places. Lyrics to an old song: "He brought me to His banqueting table; His banner over me is love." Scripture: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever." (John 6: 51) A story: "That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat." (Ex. 16: 13 -15)
As I searched the menu, I thought about how God's offerings are more rich and varied than the delectable fare I chose from that day. Still I often fail to relish His goodness; to live off His daily sustenance, or to believe He can do crazy things like lead us at just the right time to just the right restaurant where a mouthwatering, free meal awaits.
We've since learned that Longhorn always offers free food the first two days a new restaurant opens. And that those two days are normally "by reservation only." Dad and I just happened to walk in about fifteen minutes before the reservations kicked in and got a table. After the memorable meal, we drove to Symphony Hall and listened to one of the premier musical groups in the country perform varied Christmas numbers I've heard about for years.
And it all makes me wonder if I really grasp what the baby alone was all about. When I look at my ceramic Jesus surrounded by nativity figurines, do I realize what He symbolizes? What His presence really means in my life? That He came to save the world - the entire world?
Probably not. But I'm going to think about it a little more this week. The wonder I felt looking at the menu should only be a taste of what I feel basking in the Savior's birth.
"O come, O come, Emmanuel; And ransom captive Israel..."
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2 comments:
How cool! :)
Yes, Amy, very cool!
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