Word of the Week: Invitation

Invite: To ask for the presence or participation of, to welcome; encourage

I'm just loving this word lately for some reason. It's one of those beautiful, multi-faceted words. An invitation says "the door is open, come on in. You're welcome here." Of course, I think of God's invitation to me, his constant invitation to walk more fully in the life he offers and to somehow participate in his work. He doesn't strong arm me or coerce me. His voice of love gently beckons, and the invitation is mine to accept or reject. Yet as often as I neglect or reject his invitation, he never tires of extending his arms towards me.

I also have been thinking of this word in terms of human relationships. How many people in my life have extended an invitation to me over the years? How have I felt welcomed, loved and accepted by others? Oh, too many times to enumerate, but in recent days and months I've become increasingly grateful for those welcoming arms along the way.

And finally, do I offer an invitation to others? Does my life invite others into the life God has for them? And can I invite and welcome others into my life? Blogging has definitely been a segue into this learning to be more open, but it's something I know God wants me to do in real-time as well. And it all circles back to the beginning, an invitation from God to take another step.