The Weight of A Soul

You may have remembered the Holiday Feast from last year a how I learned about the Absurdity of Christmas. This year, I went into the Holiday Feast expecting it to be, honestly, one more thing I'd enjoy doing but then cross it off my list of activities done and move onto the next. (You know how it is when you're life becomes a list of things to get done rather than a life to live. - I'm working on switching that, but that's where I am right now at times.) So I wasn't expecting much.

Last year more than 1,200 people poured into the Civic Center. The tables were full, the extra tables we pulled out were full. It was to the point that we were sticking chairs in rows in corners for people to sit and eat there. It was beautiful to get to serve so many, but chaotic in the process. I loved how we became the Church and didn't just have a service. 

Background to the event:
Bethel Church has a year long lease on the Civic Center in town for first year students. They still have events and bands come in throughout the year, but we also have the ability to do huge things in there. For example, we have a Holiday Feast. There's a reason we call it a feast and not a meal. We go all out. It's not styrofoam plates and an assembly line (though we do that on Sunday mornings), we have nice dining wear, family style portions, a table host who decorates and brings gifts, a waiter/waitress, live music, dramas, skits, choirs, hosts, and all out. It's awesome. A photo with Santa, drawn pictures, prayer, goody-bags for kids, greeters with hot chocolate/coffee. 

This year, instead of trying to feed 1,200 people, they decided to cap it at 800 and do it up really nice. Let's do quality not quantity. Which means potentially people being turned away (with a go away bag), but everyone there getting even greater treats. If we're loving people like Jesus does, we've got to do it up right and treat them like the Princes and Princesses He sees them as.

What's the issue? Here's the view the night before. Keep in mind, we're in Northern California that almost had a skiff of snow last year.

I'm not sure they have snowplows or salt trucks here. I mean, you'd think they would but who remembers the last time they got 4-6 inches dumped on them? Why is this an issue though?

How are you going to get the people to the Civic to enjoy the meal and be treated like Kings and Queens?

As the time came and people filed in, the upper deck was left empty and tables were combined. There may have been 500 people there (I'm a bad estimator and I haven't seen numbers yet, but I know WAY under 800.) 

I was a waiter this year and we had plenty of us. Rather than each of us having a table, we all kind of just tag teamed because we were a bit overstaffed. As the program went on and we went through and everyone was finishing up eating. I began to dialogue with God about what was going on. One of my friends, Bethany, was in charge of setting up and running the whole show and had been planning it heavily for 4 months or so. I knew the work that went into it and was a little frustrated about God's end of bringing the people in.

God, what happened? All this effort and work and why are there so few people here. There's so many more who could have came.

You asked me to send the people who were supposed to be here.

Yeah, but there's still so many more tables. There's so much going to waste.

If all this was for one person, I would...

Yeah, yeah. I know you would have still done it. (with accepting tone.) But...

It's because you don't understand the weight of a soul.

Wha...

You wanted to know what the weight of a soul was. Well, look. This is the weight of a soul. This is how much I value you it and desire it. You don't realize how much I spend and am willing to spend over each soul. I would have prepared for a thousand, spent all the money on it, went all out, had hundreds of people spending day and night on this day to make sure it's right, go all out and over the top. Because I have THAT much value for one soul. You know I gave you my son, Jesus, right? You still don't understand the full weight of Him coming and dying. He's way more weight and worth than a dinner, but I'm not going there now. Look at all the effort, time, and money put into this. THAT'S MY WEIGHT OF A SOUL.

After a response like that, you don't really have much to say but, "Dang. Yeah, you were definitely right about that one. Thanks for correcting me. Keep teaching me cause I'm all ears." And He did. He just kept showing me what it was worth for one soul. 

There were dancers and  live music throughout, the drama came and razzled people, Chris O (one of the big evangelists at Bethel) came and just shared the gospel and how to join in the family. After that Chris Gore (the guy who leads the healing ministry at Bethel) came up and briefly shared what all Jesus died for on the cross is both sin and sickness and we then prayed for people afterwards. I have no doubt that many were saved and many were healed, but it was here in the midst of all this effort and all this to-do of so many months of hard work for so many people, God showed me THIS is the weight I have for one soul. (and I know it's actually not, He's paid a lot more, but He was kind enough to let my mind just be blown with this fact for now.)

Amen.