Beautiful but different

A few days ago I was trying to set the table and was getting frustrated with what I considered my lack of serving pieces. The ones which were the right sizes for the dishes I was serving did not match the china and were even chipped. I spent a ridiculous amount of time searching for matching serving pieces the right size. I finally gave up and just used the ones I had. A few minutes later, I entered the dining room, saw my family sitting around the table with matching plates and mixed matched serving dishes and thought to myself, "Actually this is perfect. It all coordinates in its own way. It worked out just the way I needed it too, and it's beautiful."

My struggle to build friendships these past few years reminds me of setting the table that night. I have searched and searched for those friends I thought would be perfect matches for me and my family. I have worked hard to cultivate friendships with others who I thought fit me, and I have been disappointed and hurt time and time again. And with all this effort, I have continued to overlook those standing right in front of me. I have continued to overlook those who seemed too different from me to be deep long lasting friends. These past few days have been difficult for a variety of reasons, and as I look through the haze of the emotions I see and feel beautiful deep friendships which have been slowly built over time. The patterns don't match but they enhance me, and I pray I enhance them. I pray that I have served them in spite of our differences and our brokenness. I look at these friendships, and they're beautiful.

As we gather around the altar each week to share in the Eucharist, are we searching for those who we match or are we awestruck by the beauty of the difference?