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Several years ago I was invited to go cobia fishing on a friend’s boat. It was an incredible experience. We found cobia by finding manta rays, as the fish often swim in “squadrons” under the ray’s wings. This particular day the ocean was a little rough, so the only way we could find the manta rays was when they’d jump clear of the water. When they came back down the massive explosion of water beneath them looked like someone threw a stick of dynamite—so big it could be seen from miles away. Then we’d use the twin 300-horse power Yamaha motors to jet over to where the ray was to find it swimming just beneath the surface.
And yep, there were cobia under the wings of several rays. We had a banner day, excluding perhaps the manta ray which I unintentionally hooked…
When we got back to the dock, “we” refueled the boat. I figured the least I could do was pay for the gas, so I pulled out my credit card. My friend refused my card. He did, however, take the card of the other person on the boat, a very successful lawyer. I was a bit hurt by this—I wanted to do my part. Over $300 dollars later (this was 30 years ago, so this seemed like an astronomical number), I realized the better course was to say thanks.
Invitations are such a powerful part of life. They are a way we care for each other, saying that we like someone enough that we want them to be with us. We also want to share with them something we love. I still remember that invitation, the experience we all shared, and the expense at which the invitation was extended. I am still thankful for it.
This is why I invite people to church, and it’s why I hope you will too. Yes, there is an expense to all invitations. We might experience rejection if a person says no. We are afraid they will be offended. But because invitations are an act of love, this is rarely ever the case. People are simply glad we thought enough of them; that they mattered enough to us for us to ask. I’ve had to say no to far more fishing trips than I’ve been able to say yes to, but I’ve always been glad to be invited—and even hopeful they would invite me again.
Warmly,
Rob+
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