Dinner With Dad

Before I get around to the story, I'd just like to acknowledge that it's based on one that I found here. A lot of my favorite stories are ones that I've originally found on the Website I linked to. I always tell them differently, of course---that's what storytelling is all about---but I just want to make sure that credit is given where credit is due. Anyway, without further ado, here's the story:

Mr. Wilson was looking forward to treating his son to a nice dinner, so  he made reservations for a two at a classy restaurant---not one of those fancy places where a little piece of undercooked steak costs $60, but a nice place just the same. Mr. Wilson arrived at the restaurant at 6:30 and had a seat at the table he had reserved. It had been set for two people, just as he had requested.

A waiter came to Mr. Wilson's table and asked him if he would like anything to drink. Mr. Wilson ordered a cup of coffee and said to the waiter, "I'm planning on having dinner with my son tonight, so I won't be ordering anything until he comes." The waiter nodded and returned a few minutes later with Mr. Wilson's coffee.

As the waiter went about his business, he periodically glanced at the table where Mr. Wilson was seated to see whether his son had arrived. At 7:00, Mr. Wilson's son had still not shown up. The waiter went over to Mr. Wilson and asked, "Sir, I know you were planning on waiting for your son, but since he hasn't shown up yet, would you like to order now?" Mr. Wilson smiled and shook his head: "No, but I'll have another cup of coffee, please. I'll keep waiting for my son. I think he'll show up this time."

This time, the waiter thought to himself. Yeah, right! Mr. Wilson had come to the restaurant every day that week, and every day, he said that he was waiting for his son. Mr. Wilson's son never showed up, though, and every day, Mr. Wilson went home disappointed. The waiter wasn't sure it would be a good idea to ask his customer such a personal question, but his curiosity got the better of him. "Sir, I don't mean to pry," he said, "but why do you keep waiting for your son? He's stood you up four times this week already. If I was you, I wouldn't stand for that."

Mr. Wilson smiled a sad little smile and replied, "I know my son has been a bit of a disappointment lately, but he needs me. He'll come tonight, I'm sure of it." The waiter was skeptical, but Mr. Wilson's personal affairs were none of his business. He refilled Mr. Wilson's coffee cup and moved on to the next table. 

Every half hour or so, Mr. Wilson asked the waiter to refill his coffee cup, but he never ordered a meal. "I'm still waiting for my son," he would tell the waiter. "I'm sure he'll come soon." Unfortunately, Mr. Wilson was wrong. It was ten minutes before closing time when the waiter came over and asked Mr. Wilson if he was absolutely sure he didn't want to order something to eat. "There's still some hot food in the kitchen," the waiter offered. "It wouldn't be too much trouble if you ordered something small. Could I get you a sandwich, or maybe some soup?"

Mr. Wilson politely turned the waiter down and asked for his check. As the waiter was writing out the bill, he couldn't help but notice the hurt look on Mr. Wilson's face. "I'm sorry your son didn't come today," he said gently. "Me too," Mr. Wilson replied, "but perhaps he'll come next time. Would it be too late to reserve this table for tomorrow night?" Shocked, the waiter said, "Well, no...it wouldn't be any trouble at all...but...this is the fifth time your son has blown you off this week. What's to say he won't do it again?"

Mr. Wilson gave the waiter another sad smile and said, "One of these days, he'll need me, and when he does, I'll be waiting here for him." He paid for the coffee, left the waiter a tip, and walked out of the restaurant.

At about the same time, Mr. Wilson's son was on his way home. He had spent the evening at the bar with his buddies, drinking and watching the game. When he got back to his apartment, he saw a note stuck on his refrigerator door: "Dinner with dad at 6:30." Oops! he thought to himself. I forgot about that. Maybe I could call dad and meet him somewhere for a late night snack...but it's awfully late. I'll have dinner with him tomorrow, I'm sure of it. And dad's a good guy. I'm sure he won't mind.

*     *     *     *     *

What a lousy son, right? His dad wanted to treat him to a nice dinner, but he decided to go to a smoky bar and drink cheap beer with his friends instead. That's low. That's downright despicable, as a matter of fact. I don't think there's a person on earth who could justify the way Mr. Wilson's son behaved in the story.

Let's flip a few things around, though. Think of Mr. Wilson as God for a moment...what would that make us? The son. That low-down, despicable, good for nothing son. Ouch. It's easy to point fingers at a fictional character in a made up story, but it gets awfully uncomfortable when we start looking at our own lives.

Just like the son blew off his father in the story, we often blow off our Father. I'll be the first one to admit that there have been times---more than I'd care to count---that I've come home from a long day and thought, I'm too tired to spend some time with God tonight. He'll have to wait until tomorrow. God's a good guy. I'm sure He won't mind.

1 Corinthians 1:9 says that we've been called into fellowship with Jesus, and 1 John 1:6 says, "If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth." There's not a lot of wiggle room, is there? Either we're in fellowship with Jesus or we're not. 

Jesus desperately longs to spend time with us. Philippians 4:6 says that "in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." God wants to hear our requests and our praises. He cares deeply about us and He wants to hear from us on a regular basis. In fact, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says that we should always maintain an attitude of prayer. Even Jesus Himself spent a great deal of time in fellowship with His Father. On several occasions, Jesus slips away from the crowds so that He can be alone with God. 

God has done so much for us---more than we can ever even begin to comprehend. If He wasn't infinitely kind, loving, and merciful, life would be meaningless and all of us would be doomed to an eternity in hell. God sacrificed His only Son for your sake and for mine and He loves each of us dearly. Like Mr. Wilson, He'll wait patiently every day, longing to spend some time with us.

Have you spent some time with your Father today?