Invite

invite

“A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant so say to those who had been invited  ‘Come for everything is now ready.” -The Great Banquet parable (Luke 14)

The parable goes on to talk about how many of the invited guests began to make excuses, some even really valid ones, “Still another said, I just got married, so I can’t come”  AKA its date night Jesus, imma about to have sex… (can I get an amen?!). Haha, I love this parable for a lot of reasons! Like with most stories that Jesus told we see ourselves in many of the characters at different points in our journey sometimes even being more than one character at the same time. I remember for my 25th birthday wanting to feel all grown up and arranging a big party at a new cool cocktail bar in town, not just sending out a text but writing out little personalised notes of invitation, all the excitement and the planning and all the people saying they would come. But you know how the story goes, as with any event: the last minute drop outs are a killer, and in one 48hr period my exciting party was whittled down to just my nearest and dearest. I had a great night. I have been the sad and disappointed party planner. I also remember being even younger and not appreciating the stress and planning that goes into a wedding and not turning up to a dear friends wedding. Or worse still, being 25 and “all grown up” and declining to attend another friend’s wedding because “I didn’t know anyone anymore”. Valid reason, but having planned a wedding, I now know, what only hindsight and wisdom can tell me: my friend would have loved to see me there, and I made it all about me and my lack when the day would have been all about her and celebrating her joy she wanted to share her day with me and invite me into this new chapter of her life, it was more about her heart towards me but again, I made it about my lack - I visibly cower at the reminder of these memories, not my finest moments in life for sure. 

I have been on the inside looking out, smug and grateful that I was special enough, cool enough, whatever arbitrary measure of “enough” to have been invited, grateful that I was welcome and that I belonged. On the flip side there have been many very painful times I have also been on the outside looking in wondering why I don’t fit and haven’t been invited or included, wondering what it was about me that wasn’t ‘enough’ to belong and be welcomed. I have felt relationally poor and without community, lame/not cool and crippled by my own sadness, insecurity and rejection. I love that in the parable the great party planner (Jesus) went and told his servants to go out and personally invite those that were blind, lame and crippled - not the cool or impressive crowd, ordinary everyday street people. I know what it is to hold that sweet hand of kind invitation and be let into the party. The relief of knowing I am wanted actually more than welcome and that I belong. BELOVED even today Christ extends this very same hand to you. And even more so calls us, His servants, to go out and extend our hand to others.

And truthfully Beloved, other times I’ve been too busy and made excuses. Too busy planning a wedding, too busy starting a small yoga business (and having multiple emotional breakdowns every hour hahaaa); regardless of my feeble or valid excuses, Christ doesn’t give up or turn away from me; instead He is in-dwelling, quietly faithfully knocking on the door of my heart wondering if I’m free to hang out and spend time with him today. I love that the poor, the crippled, the blind, the lame- anyone, EVERYONE who is willing, is invited. It’s still the same today, as you move and breathe and practise on the mat I invite you to come home to yourself take the invitation Christ extends, to be held by the one who holds it all and let us in turn be a people of invitation and by extension welcome and belonging. I hope as you move and breathe on the mat you may find yourself caught in the wonder of Christ’s invitation, his loving embrace and the belonging and welcome he speaks over you in every moment of your day. We breathe out and let go of the illusion of control and breathe in the embrace of the one who holds it all. 

Today I lovingly invite you to come back to your heart, your body, your life those most sacred and holy places... you are holy ground. You are grounded in the holiness of The Divine in you. It is safe to be where you are. It is safe to be you. You are not just invited but welcomed and embraced.

breath out

Lies and Rejection

breath in

Invitation and Welcome

I honour the dignity and divinity within you Beloved- may it shine forth and be a light unto your path and to others as well. Until next time, go in peace and be well. 🧘🏾‍♀️✨

Enjoy your practice!