阿然，食飯啦!

16 Then Jesus said to him, "Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. 17 At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for everything is ready now.' 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.' 19 Another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.' 20 Another said, 'I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.' 21 So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, 'Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.' 22 And the slave said, 'Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.' 23 Then the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.'"
~Luke 14:16-24, NRSV

I have fallen into the trap, the trap that Bill Hybel has warned us in his book "Too Busy Not to Pray". Seminary, ministry, family, work, personal time, and etc have made me too busy. Too busy to attend the banquet God has prepared for us. Joel, too busy for free food? Yes, it's true. The gravity of this situation dawned on me when Jesus said "none of those who were invited will taste my dinner". But that is the exact dinner I longed for as I study in seminary, as I serve in devotion...

Oh Lord, for three months, I had studied your word and seeked you with my heart, but I did not stop by to taste your dinner. Father, thank you for calling me back for dinner. 阿然，食飯啦! To taste his dinner in self reflection and prayer.