Have you ever said or at least felt yourself thinking, "Not yet, Father"?
I have. It was at a time when our branch Church of Christ, Scientist, was going to have a meeting to elect a new First Reader. As I "explained" to God, I could see that there were three strong reasons why this was not the right time for me to fill that office. First, I felt I needed the deep study and foundation that class instruction in Christian Science could help provide; second, I had a physical problem that might prevent me from serving at times; third, our two children were young, and it seemed only fair to them that we be able to have family weekend trips in summer.
As I prayed I became aware of being persistently nudged by a vaguely recalled Bible story, a parable Christ Jesus had used about a man who gave a feast. I found the story in the book of Luke. See Luke 14:16-24. It portrayed a man who had prepared a feast to which he had invited many guests. But each one had an excuse: a new real-estate purchase to be looked over, a new team of oxen to be tried, a new wife who naturally couldn't be left, and so on. The host's response when his servant reported these excuses was to tell him to go out and bring to his feast "the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind." He also added that none of those who had offered excuses would taste of his feast.
