I was going into this whole thing blind, with only bad past experiences knocking in the back of my head reminding me what it "could be like." I did know of about 4 other women that were going to this with me, which helped me relax a little bit, but I also had heard that you aren't allowed to sit by people you know and you keep moving tables and mixing with people.
Let me interrupt this by saying I was a HUGE TOM BOY growing up. At school, if I wore jeans and something other than a sweat shirt, people thought I was dressing up and had something important to do or go to. Most of my friends have been guys. I was the football and wrestling manager and very active in the FFA (only girl in my class out of about 20 other classmates). Being surrounded by females was not something I usually viewed as "fun."
However, as I walked into the church last night, I recognized the relaxed feeling that everyone had. It was similar to when I walk through the doors into my church on a Sunday morning. It was so welcoming, even by people who had no idea who I was. As soon as we got in the door, there were party gifts to make and the most amazing fruit punch I've ever had. Yes, we had to mix tables and table mates, but it was never awkward. There were ?s we had to answer to (as Pastor Trav would say...) "break the ice." Then we dove into the reality of the situation, God's love is meant to be like our love for chocolate.
Chocolate is a comfort food. God can be that comfort for us. However, if we grab onto a piece of chocolate to get us through the tough times and think we can handle it ourselves, we'll only get a mushy mess in our hands of melted chocolate. Experience God's love through chocolate and let him be our comfort along with the sweet treat will all love to hate =)
Moral of the Story:
"Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in him!" Pslam 34:8
