Colored Napkins at Lunch . . .

“And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,
Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him
in whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.”

Ruth 2:2 KJV

It’s lunch time on Friday for the USFWI/QMI Triennial (United Society of Friends Women International/Quaker Men International) and I’m standing at one of doorways to the dining room with a Friend as Friends arrive for lunch. Now, this is listed as a “Get Acquainted Luncheon” in the program . . . so let the fun begin! 

As Friends arrived for lunch I took their meal tickets, as usual, and then one of us would hand them a colored napkin – red, yellow, green, lime green, light blue or pink. Most looked a bit puzzled when handed a napkin at the door, but we explained to them that they needed to find a table that had that color napkin in the centerpiece and sit there for lunch – each napkin color had 2-3 tables, so not like only one table to sit at. Some were not so sure about this, as they had waited for their friend/friends to come and eat with them and now we were telling them that we were going to split them up.

 

So, here’s what happened . . .

 

Two Kenyan men came up and Francis handed me his meal ticket and greeted me, his friend was having a bit of trouble trying to get his meal ticket out of his nametag holder, so Francis helped him. When the other Friend turned his nametag around I laughed and then gave them both a bad time for ‘messing’ with me . . . his name was also Francis! I told them that since they had messed with me I was now going to mess with them. I gave them each a different colored napkin and explained that I was splitting them up and they would have to eat at different tables for lunch! Francis #1 said “No, no we want to eat together. You can’t split us up!” I said “Sorry, but that’s the way it was gonna have to be.”

 

A bit later, a group of about 6 Kenyan ladies came and they too were not happy that they weren’t going to be able to sit together as a group for lunch. But took their colored napkins and went on their way.

 

I know what you’re thinking . . . So, what does this have to do with any kind of ministry? Well, I’m getting to that, patience.

 

It's now dinner time, and I’m back at the door collecting meal tickets . . .

 

As Friends arrived there was a bit of a buzz . . . and nearly all the Kenyan Friends had one question for me as they hesitantly handed me their meal ticket and looked around the dining room “So, which table do I sit at tonight?” Now, the first time I heard that question I was caught off guard just a bit, and had to chuckle. I told them they were free to sit at any table they wanted to and with whomever they wanted for the rest of the meals – the colored napkins were only for lunch. Most agreed that even though they weren’t too happy about being separated from their friends at lunch they really enjoyed the change.

 

One of the Kenyan ladies from that large group from lunch commented to me at dinner, as they all arrived together again, how much she personally enjoyed it. She said “It forced me to sit with Friends I wouldn’t have sat with otherwise and to engage in conversations I wouldn’t have otherwise had.” Like so many of the other Friends, she thanked me for the experience. I thanked her for her comments and said that her comments this evening, along with others I had heard, reinforced something I had thought of months ago when I first began planning to go on this Pilgrimage to Ireland that I was now only 16 days away from.

 

At each meal on Saturday and Sunday I still had many of the Kenyans ask me as they handed me their meal ticket “Which table do I sit at for this meal?” And when I handed out small bookmarks with a purple logo on it, in exchange for their meal ticket for Saturdays lunch – well, yes you guessed it they said “So I need to look for a table with this symbol on it?” No, you can sit wherever you’d like for lunch. They really enjoyed being ‘forced’ to sit somewhere different. I just had to ask “So, what’s stopping you from seeking out a seat away from your friends during meal times?”

 

Sometimes I think we all get caught up in our routine, we’re afraid to try something new, talk to someone we don’t know, to think outside the box and get out of our comfort zone. Why is that?

 

I know that in preparing to go on this Pilgrimage I have already gone outside of my comfort zone several times and along the way I’ve pulled a few Friends in along with me, but we’ve managed to get through it and the journey isn’t over yet . . . but it has begun. We all just need to remember that God never gives us any more than we can handle and that he is always there beside us along our life’s journey. Philippians 4:13 reminds us that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

 

So, the ministry of the colored napkins at lunch . . . it’s there, really it is. We all have choices to make each and every day. We all have many opportunities before us, but we often don’t take advantage of them. Why? Why do we sit back and wait until someone else ‘forces’ us to do something we’re not comfortable with? We need to stop waiting for others to show us what we're missing out on. We need to step out in faith and know that God will always be by our side and keep us safe. 

 

I’m so looking forward to the new opportunities that await me as I travel with and among Friends in Ireland. I’m ready to meet and learn about our Irish Friends and see their beautiful country.

 

And all I experienced at Triennial, well . . . it has shown me that I am so ready for the experience!