Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: WHISPER (12/08/22)
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TITLE: The Missing Guest | Previous Challenge Entry
By Naoma Bird
12/14/22 -
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Sarah arrived home from work and stopped to pick up her mail before going into the house. She threw her coat on a chair and the handful of mail on the kitchen table to go through later, but something in the mail caught her eye. It was a lovely, decorative envelope. As she opened it, she found an invitation to a birthday party for a prominent figure in her community. Sarah had never met the person but had heard much about him, both positive and negative. The guest list was long and included both prominent and obscure. It seemed no one had been left out. There would be a buffet of foods of different kinds brought by the quests. There would be music, fun, and fellowship for all. After dinner, there would be games for kids and adults. Sarah quickly checked her calendar to be sure the date was clear and marked for the party. She didn’t want to miss what would likely be the biggest event of the year.
While waiting for the day to arrive, she had much she wanted to get done in preparation for the event; there was choosing the right outfit to wear/scheduling an appointment with the hairdresser, and preparing her popular recipe for scalloped potatoes and ham casserole, as well as choosing and wrapping the right gift.
The day finally arrived, and Sarah could think of nothing but the grand event. Ready, in her new dress and hairdo, with her scalloped potatoes & ham casserole in the warming carrier, and a beautifully wrapped gift for the guest of honor that she had been looking forward to finally meeting, she was on her way.
When she arrived at the event she was in awe of the beautiful decorations. The tables were set with fine tablecloths and beautiful centerpieces. There was a special table for the children with crayons and coloring pages to occupy them as they waited for dinner. A table was full of hor oeuvres and drinks at one side of the room, and on the other side, a table that held a buffet of food brought by the invited guests.
The entire first hour of the event was a meet and greet among all the guests; greeting old friends, and making new friends. Sarah mingled with the other guests, some whom she knew, and some she was meeting for the first time. The room was full of joyful laughter and fellowship among all the guests.
However, Sarah began to sense something wasn’t quite right. She noticed people started pairing off into different groups and there was whispering and murmuring. As the whispering became more audible, it seemed that no one had seen the guest of honor. He was an apparent "no-show." Some began to speak out, “He must have forgotten!” Others said, “How could he just not show up after all we have done for him?” Still, others suggested, "He must have been too busy to come!”
As the discussion continued it was discovered that in all the preparation, planning, and excitement of all the anticipated food, fun, and fellowship, no one had invited the guest of honor to his own birthday celebration. They had lost sight of the event’s real purpose, which was to honor and celebrate his birth.
We call it Christmas! The party was celebrating the birth of Jesus – and yet He was the one uninvited guest.
It is easy in this busy world we live in to be distracted by the decorations, parties, games, and gifts as we celebrate Christmas. We forget what the celebration is really about. It’s not that there is anything wrong in the celebration itself, but it is when we have lost sight of the primary focus--that it is Jesus Christ we celebrate--that we move into celebrating the holiday, instead of the Holy One.
When Jesus was born, the celebration was attended by angels and shepherds. The only decoration was a star in the east that pointed the way to where he lay. The music was the hallelujah of the angels and the praises of the shepherds. More than likely, the only food at the celebration was whatever Mary and Joseph had packed for their trip to Bethlehem; not for a great party, but to be counted in the census. The only gifts he received that day were the praise and worship of the angels and shepherds.
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you; you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:11-14
*Scripture quoted from ESV Bible
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I wonder if there is enough focus on the Challenge topic 'Whisper' though. Maybe, as the guests were whipsering. I hope the judges think so as it is a delightful and surprising story.
Kudos.