Thoughtful Thursday

What Are You Bringing?

Who loves a good pot luck dinner? I know I do. Every year, for as long as I can remember, (and our church is over a hundred years old), our church has hosted a Homecoming dinner on the fourth Sunday in August. Ladies and men alike work diligently to provide a good meal for our members and our guests. Those who have been attending for a few years, know that certain people have certain dishes that is their signature dish. So-and-So always brings banana pudding. Then, Mrs. What’s-Her-Name, makes the best broccoli casserole. We also look forward to the variety of deviled eggs, pasta dishes, and whatever crock pot dish may entice us. There are other casseroles and specialty desserts that make people’s eyes light up, and that we look forward to, year after year.

Likewise, my family meets for a big family reunion every few years. One year, my brother from Texas was staying with us. My oldest sister, Evelyn,  had asked me what she should bring. I told her that I would check and get back with her. After calling around to see what everyone else was bringing, we had a request that Evelyn would bring pinto beans and cornbread, and her signature apple pie. As I was busy cooking, I asked my brother, Richard,  to call her and ask her to bring that. “All you have to say,” I told him, “is soup beans, cornbread, and apple pie!”  He repeated that after me and agreed to call. “What’s her number?” He asked.  Well, my husband, being the prankster that he is, just spouted off some random number which didn’t belong to anyone that we knew. Richard dialed that number, some random lady answered the phone, and with no introduction, he simply said, “Soup beans, cornbread, and apple pie!” There was a long pause…silence…then the lady said, “Who IS this???”

In a similar manner, just as we bring physical food to a pot luck, we bring spiritual food to those around us. I am reminded of a few Bible verses that encourage us to bring something good to the table.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us: “Therefore, encourage one another, and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

Ephesians 4:29:  “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

Hebrews 10-24-25: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching.”

What about you? When you walk into a room, do you bring joy and light? Do people’s eyes light up when they see you, like when they see Mrs, So-and-So’s banana pudding?

Joel Manby, former CEO of Herschend Entertainment, which is Dollywood’s parent company, wrote a book called, “Love Works.” In his book, he left me with a quote that I’ll always remember. He said, “Every time you walk past someone, you have an opportunity to make their day better, or make their day worse.”

I have to ask myself today…”What am I bringing to the table?”

Have a great Thursday!