Put out the Chair

 "The movement in our relationship to God is always from God TO us. Always. We can't through piety or goodness move closer to God. God is always coming near to us. Most especially in the Eucharist and in the stranger." Nadia Bolz Weber

I arrive at co-op each week nearly an hour before my friend as Peanut's classes begin a full class period before her daughter's.

Last week, I unloaded my chair and got set up to read under the shade of a tree. I had brought an extra chair for my friend.

I decided to go ahead and set her chair up even though it would be a while before she arrived.

I imagine that those who walked by wondered about my empty extra chair.

I knew she was coming.

From the moment West Ga assigned her to me as my room mate (a decision I definitely questioned at the time), she has always shown up. When that first college boyfriend ended up being the wrong choice, she showed up for Huddle House coffee and juke box selections. When I wasn't sure my now husband was ever going to be husband material, she showed up to listen to me rant. When my big kids were born and I was walking early motherhood solo, she showed up with a laminated copy of the newspaper (so they will always know what the AJC said on the day they were born). When I needed a work from home job, she showed up and co-authored books with me learning to write in the chaos of my dining room/play room.

While our friendship has ebbed and flowed over the years, she always shows up. I put her chair up because I knew she was coming.

The evidence says she shows up.

Each morning I pour myself an Irish breakfast tea and gather my devotion supplies.

I realized this week that I quit putting out a chair for Jesus.

Lately I feel like He's running late.

Or maybe I'm not not lingering long enough.

Today I remembered, you put out the chair for Jesus because he has shown up.

Because like my friend, I can list countless times where He did show up.

In His own way, in His own time, but always showing up.

Mama Warriors, sometimes I think we can't hear God speaking to us because we stop putting out the chair.

We stop expecting Him to talk to us.

Even though evidence suggests that He has shown up in the past so we can expect Him to show up again.

Let's put the chair out this week.