Honorable Mention

8 "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; 9 and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, 'Give this person your place,' and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." (Luke 14:8-9,13-14)

The guest list and the seating chart can be the most time consuming part of planning any large gathering. And the questions foremost in the mind of a potential guest might be "will I be invited/do I have to attend", and "whom will I get to sit with/ whom will I have to sit with". We are constantly measuring our selves against others, our worth by the value others place on us, and the value of others by what they have given - or might give - to us. No one wins at this game.

It would cost us nothing to open our circle wider, to include those who might feel neglected or don't seem to fit in. We can't imaging the blessing we might get, or the blessing we might be. We often justify our exclusion of some by our own desire for comfort or enjoyment. But when our comfort comes at the cost of someone else's enjoyment, it's not really comfortable at all. We are all guilty of seeking to be respected, honored, and recognized when we should be seeking to respect, honor, and recognize others. Strive to be a friend, and you'll likely have one.

1 Let mutual love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:1-2)