Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 21, 2022
(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
Estancia in the Arboretum
I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory.
Zane (not Grey) took us to the best spot in the restaurant, a corner table for four, surrounded by two windows. Who were we? Margaret and I for our 43rd anniversary, Miles and Jasper for their first time in a Brazilian steakhouse, accompanying their grandparents.
Estancia sits elegantly in the Austin Arboretum, and it’s packed on Saturday for brunch. We watched the boys figure things out: how to choose from the endless salad bar items (they saw the dessert first, but had to wait awhile), how to ask for meat sliced off the giant skewers carried from table to table, when to use their red card and green card to ask for more (Jasper looked at me, smiled, and turned his card over to the green side every time), how to brandish their big steak knives and then cut meat with them.
They stayed with us for an hour while Andi and Aki had a lunch date at Honest Mary’s – bowls of healthy grain and fish. We ate cheese bread, sirloin and shrimp and salmon, cinnamon rolls and Brazilian flan. Our anniversary merited a slice of flourless chocolate cake, frosted thick. Zane took our picture and we stumbled, stuffed, to the car. Such a fine way to spend the second day of our 43rd married year.
People will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God. Some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.
We were surrounded by white and black folks, Hispanic and European. But our servers, they were all from Brazil. I think. They smiled, they spoke with thick accents, and they seemed very happy to be doing their work, cutting fine meats, making special cocktails, playing with the several children who came with their parents, cleaning up after us. I felt thankful to be so near South America. We expressed our gratitude toward as many of them as we could.
Steadfast is his kindness toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
In any fancy restaurant I’m very aware of how privileged I am. I think of how easy it is for us to get in our car, take out our credit card, and have a lavish meal. Not often, but occasionally, and each time I take pains to enjoy it, to express my happiness, pray for our servers and chefs, and look them in the eye. All of us are in this together. How easy it is to forget that!
Lord, will only a few people be saved? Jesus answered them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”
(Isaiah 66, Psalm 117, Hebrews 12, John 14, Luke 13)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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