The Invitation

Bob Goff tells the story of he and his friend Brandon going to Washington DC on business and being close to Capital Hill at midnight. They saw a bunch of cars awkwardly parked around the Library of Congress and barricades and so they decided to investigate. They discovered that it was a set for the filming of National Treasure 2. They set out a plan. They ran back to their hotel and changed from their suits to blue jeans and t-shirts to look the part of the film crew. They then went back, dodged a couple of security guards, ran across a couple of lawns and through some bushes. They finally got to the side entrance where the crew went in and walked right in as if they belonged there and nobody said a thing. They followed the signs and arrows that said, “Set” on it. Finally they got to a metal detector with a guard standing it by who said, “Where are your crew badges?” We don’t have them. He mumbled something to his girlfriend about inept crew members and then waved them through and yelled at them, “Badges next time!” They turned a few corners until they found themselves on the set, in the middle of the Library of Congress at 2 am with its millions of books on shelves. They were filming the scene where they were looking for the Presidential book of secrets. After the filming, they began to plan their escape without getting caught. Suddenly Nicholas Cage and Diane Kruger rounded the corner and without even thinking, they fell into their entourage as if they belonged and walked right out without a question being asked and had another thrilling adventure. And then he writes, “There are a lot of things I don’t get invited to. I’ve never been invited to the Oscars or Paul McCartney’s birthday or to a space shuttle launch. I’m waiting my invitation to the National Treasure 3. If I got an invitation to any of those…I’d definitely go. There’s nothing feeling like being included. There’s only one invitation it would kill me to refuse, yet I’m tempted to turn it down all the time. I get the invitation every day when I wake up to actually live a life of complete engagement, a life of whimsy, a life where love does…It’s an invitation to actually live, to fully participate in this amazing life (and God’s plan of salvation) for one more day. Nobody turns down an invitation to the White House but I’ve seen plenty of people turn down an invitation to fully live. “

What about you? Do you realized that you have not just been saved but saved for a special relationship with God so that you might have a special mission to participate in God’s plan of salvation for all people? Jesus died for you not so that you would live but so that might have abundant life in him through His mission in the world. Bob Goff closes with, “Accepting an invitation to show up in life is about moving from the bleachers (or pews) to the field….It’s about having things matter to us so that we stop thinking about those things and start doing something about them. Simply put, Jesus is looking for us to accept the invitation to particicpate…When we accept life’s invitation, its contagious too. Other people will watch us and start seeing life as more amazing, more whimsical than before. When you show up to the big life, the people, the type who don’t think they’re invited start seeing invitations everywhere… They don’t think about their pain or weakness any longer. Instead they think about how incredible a big life really is and how powerful the one who is (inviting is)…Jesus wants us to come….The one who is inviting you is way more powerful than any of the impediments we think we’re facing and He has just one message for us. He leans forward and whispers quietly to each of us, “There’s more room…”