A WEALTHY RELATIONSHIP

My husband and I were living in the Southeast part of the United States where we were on staff of a rather large church.   This particular  church was hosting some kind of dinner evening, and being on staff, we were automatically included on the guest list. 

Personally, I’m not fond of head tables.  At this particular event, there were many guests invited and the seating arrangement was assigned in advance.   When we arrived and I viewed the scattering of place cards, my heart groaned within knowing we were seated at the “display table.”  I hope you’re on the same page of humor as I am, and recognize that I’m describing the “head table.”

Quietly I asked the Lord if He was sure He wanted us at that table and that specific location.   People began arriving and scurrying toward their assigned seats.  Within a few moments, a lady came to the area where our name cards were placed, and she began rearranging the cards as though they were on skates.   It appeared as though four cards were being moved to a new location.

By now, I’m beginning to think the Lord has something in mind.   My eyes kept a keen lookout as to where we were moving to.   And yes, we were still at the head table.  The event was about to commence, so we positioned our bodies at the appropriate and assigned seating arrangement.

My heart wasn’t happy, but as time passed I began to recall that the Lord directs our “steps…..and our stops”…….and where He is determining us to sit at events.    It wasn’t long before a pleasant conversation began to take place with the lovely couple seated next to me.    They were simply delightful, and we seemed to just blend together as if we had known each other for years.    

After the dinner, my husband and I continued our interaction with this couple.   They were about forty or more years ahead of us in years, but that didn’t matter at all.    We all seemed to enjoy one another so much that we wanted to continue this relationship.

Plans were made to go for dinner one evening.   In fact we experienced many dinner engagements with them.   We loved being with them, and they seemed to enjoy our company as well.

We had only been married about four years, and financially we could pay our bills, but there wasn’t much left over.   If we ever went out for an evening, we needed to decide beforehand if we were going out for coffee, or would it be ice cream, because we couldn’t afford both at the same time.    I trust you’re catching on to our financial status of “just making it…..with not much left over.”

This one evening our new friends invited us out for dinner.   It was to be a special evening.   Little did I know ‘how’ special.   We met in the lobby of a bank.   We found that interesting.   We knew they had a drive through at this banking facility, but it wasn’t for serving food.  We were curious as we entered the building.

We followed the lead of this couple to the elevator.  When the elevator door closed, it seemed we were on that elevator a very long time.   I can’t remember the floor number, but we landed ‘at the top.’   Yes, this restaurant was at the top of this commercial high rise building.

All of the restaurants we’d ever been to were at “ground level”…and so were their prices.    The height of this restaurant and the commanding 360 degree view certainly reflected in the prices as well.    I’ll get to that in just a minute.   Everyone was really dressed up.  That means no jeans or slacks I might add.  It turned out to be a private, very exclusive club.    

After a few minutes of welcomed chit chat, I began to look around.   I didn’t need to visually circle the entire environment before coming to my first observation. Our names were on printed cards in front of us.   The cover on the pack of matches (black with gold lettering) had our friends’ name on it.    At this point, my eyes enlarged like giant grapes at my new discovery.    

This was nothing compared to my next revelation.    My husband and I opened our menus at the same time and made the identical discovery.   There were no prices next to the selections to choose from the cuisine.   This was no Bob’s Big Boy, or Denny’s, I assure you.

Our eyes met and you could almost read our thoughts appearing on our inner foreheads.   This is incredible.   Whenever we’re invited out to dinner by anyone, we try and choose something that’s the most reasonable on the menu.   With no prices, what were we to do?   How could we make a sensible, conservatively priced decision?

Our gentleman friend helped us in our dilemma to relax by asking us to have ‘whatever you like.’     Needless-to-say, our dinner was incredible and we enjoyed every tasty morsel of the meal.  We consumed, with delight, every item on the plate.

Over the course of months, we had many meals with this couple; but the problem was that they were always asking “us” out and not the other way around.   By now, you may be surmising our new dilemma.   We simply loved being with this couple, but at the time, we couldn’t afford to even take them for a fast-food dinner.   

I think I must have worked some overtime at the bank where I was employed to afford enough money to take them to Baskin & Robins.   Yes, that’s the 31 flavor ice cream bar for poorer folks like us.

One Sunday afternoon we picked them up at their penthouse condo on the beach, and off we drove to our delicious ice cream destination.   We always had fun together.   I can’t remember if they had one scoop or two, but their reaction to our ice cream social was certainly one of sincere appreciation.   They weren’t looking for our names on the cover of the matches.  They just appreciated that we wanted to spend time with them, looking for nothing in return.

Between licks of ice cream, we shared honestly and openly with our friends that we couldn’t afford to reciprocate in the same fashion as they extended to us; but we really loved having them with us.   They assured us that it was our friendship that was of “value” to them, regardless of the price of the cone.  And by the way, our income some months would only allow us to purchase the cone only…..no ice cream.

The Christmas season was fast approaching, and my husband and I thought that it would be a great idea to have them over for dinner.    We made plans for the evening and this couple seemed thrilled to be asked to our home.

Now it’s important to remember that these people lived at the top of a high-rise….a penthouse on the beach that was much more than the size of our home.   We lived, shall we say, on the mezzanine level of the neighborhood.

The evening was set.   We didn’t have a dining room table at the time, so we ate dinner on a borrowed card table that had some years on its legs.  I placed a white tablecloth on top and did my best for table presentation.  And in case your curiosity is getting the best of you, no, there wasn’t even a vase of fresh flowers on the table.  We used the best and most down-to-earth approach — plates, serviettes (napkins), knife, fork and spoon, with salt and pepper on the side.

They arrived at our home and we were delighted.   We escorted our friends into the dining room where our borrowed card table was camouflaged in white accessories.   The dinner conversation was laced with laughter, like it always had been when the four of us were together. 

In that it was the Christmas season we wanted to give them a gift to show them love and how much we valued their friendship with us.   The week before, I had made some homemade shortbread.  As I remember the volume was about two dozen. 

I wrapped the shortbread in a box, and wrapped the gift as attractively as I could muster.   I wanted the gift to look special, because I felt that the contents were “amazingly plain,” just shortbread.

We finished our dinner and it was time to relax in the living room, just a few steps beyond the card table.   They sat on our sofa and I presented the package to him.    He opened it carefully and when he saw the contents, he went into tears.    Now I know I’m not Mrs. Field’s Cookies, but I was stunned at his tears.   His wife was choked up as well.   I will never forget what transpired after the grand opening of the box of shortbread.

I began to apologize in a quiet way for such an insignificant gift to them.   Without being rude, he gently interrupted my apology with a response I was not expecting.

He used our names and said that they loved our friendship and were so pleased with our gift.   They shared that our friendship was a “gift” to them.   They were very, very wealthy.   They could have spit us out as change as far as their mass of wealth was concerned.  

But he quickly assured us that our friendship was precious to them and valued.  They both began to share from their hearts that other people they knew socially would try and outdo them with dinners and lavish evenings.    Their other relationships were filled with people endeavoring to impressive them.    My husband and I had nothing to impress them with…..except our love for them.

They both felt that our little box of cookies was the nicest gift they had ever received.   I learned a valuable lesson from our friends that day.   Never seek to impress anyone with anything less than your love for them.

Whenever I make shortbread, I’m often reminded that it’s not the size of your table or what you put on it, or the gift you may give, but the love that permeates the atmosphere.

It’s how you make people feel that counts!

 And that can happen with a simple bowl of soup or a grilled cheese sandwich.  Now, who are YOU having for dinner?