Brandon and I are planners. Serious schedulers. We are menu makers, financial budgeters, list doers, project managers kind of people. It’s really the only way we’ve identified to survive the demands of raising a family, juggling commitments, and pursuing careers. Things rarely just fall together. Occasionally, meaning like, every now and again, at times, things just land perfectly in place without our effort or intention. It’s rare, but sometimes it occurs. Which is what happened this past weekend.

We have a king-sized comforter. One that won’t fit in our washer. I tried once. It didn’t go well. We bought a new comforter after the matter, and since then I decided not to push my luck. It’s either take it to the cleaners, or go clean it myself. So that’s what Brandon and I were doing Friday late morning. We had our coffee, frou-froued up with our cream and sugar, since that’s our weekend treat and we were practically at the weekend. There we were, having a little laundromat coffee date when Brandon got a text from a friend about some tickets to see a football game Sunday night—a Dallas Cowboys’ football game.

Brandon vocalized something to the effect of how cool that would’ve been to be able to go. I asked, “Why can’t you go?”

He replied, “Well, it is this Sunday.”

“Oh, did we have something this Sunday?”

Being that we typically schedule out plans pretty far in advance, Brandon didn’t even consider looking. I mean, we seem to always have something going. But this Sunday we had a family pumpkin-patch visit on the calendar, certainly an activity we could push back to another day. Which is exactly what we did! Brandon called his friend to get more details about this game. There was more to it than what we could have thought.

So, here’s how this pieced together….

Brandon’s friend, had a friend, whose Mom, has box seats. Brandon’s friend’s friend couldn’t go, so he gave his six tickets to Brandon’s friend. Brandon’s friend took his wife, his son, his daughter-in-law, and Brandon and me. Are ya with me? Okay, so the connection may be a little muddled, but the experience was beyond anything we could have ever afforded for ourselves.

We were informed to spruce up, dress nice, and be prepared for a fabulous time.

Y’all.

You all.

Let me tell ya…This was certainly a time pretention could have presented itself. I may have witnessed a bit that evening. However, pretention and me don’t mix. I live from the inside out. Not vice versa. Transparency is the road I walk, the lane I drive, the path I take. Which is why whether I have the opportunity to speak for prisoners or sit with politicians, whether I sit down for fast-food or a five-star dinner, whether I dress up or down, who I bring is consistently the same for any and every event. This body of mine is imperfect. My appearance is scarred. My image is flawed. But I still have something of value. I have the person within that God created me to be. I’m grateful all I ever became geared to do is bring my authentic self, because I’ve observed a comforting reality: regardless of environment, if you’re comfortable with you, you’ll accomplish two things. One, you’ll make people feel more comfortable around you, and two, you’ll be able to fully and completely enjoy the moments your given.

And wow—did we ever enjoy this moment we were given.

Guys.

You guys.

Once our tickets were scanned, we were allowed access behind this beautiful sparkly curtain and given two bracelets. A gold bracelet gave us access to two different levels of food and beverage. Oh. The. Food. Sushi, shrimp cocktail, prime rib, chicken tenders, hot dogs, chips and queso, and way more to recall. The other bracelet placed around our wrists were white. The white bracelet gave us complimentary beverages and granted us access to a third level of activity—it was a hot spot for sure, where the players came on and off the field.

The details were really special. Like meeting the super sweet lady who had the box seats. She told me how she grew up a Cowboys fan, going with her daddy to watch the games. She was confident I would enjoy the experience. No doubt, she was right. But what was even more thrilling than those touchdowns, was her joy and enthusiasm for the memories she had made, along with her eagerness to provide for others to create some as well. It truly was a pleasure to meet a woman like her.

Set apart. Distinguished. Stately. Those are some of the words that come to mind.

Those seats adjoined the box where the team owner sat, and because of that location, we befriended a member of the security team who had such intentional hospitality. The welcome was warm, accompanied by bits of conversation and information, celebrating plays and chatting like buddies.

I was brought to tears of emotion coming home from this experience.

Why?!

Why in the world would I get emotional about a football game?!

It had nothing to do with football, but everything to do with Jesus.

None of what we experienced is something we could have provided for ourselves. This group of Meadows just don’t have those resources. All of this happened because we were invited by a friend who chose us to share such a valuable experience. Jesus choses us. He invites us. He provides a way to something we could never accomplish on our own.
We were given premier access. Executive access. Special access. The curtain was pulled back and we were allowed access. Jesus did that for us. In the Old Testament the priests had to go past a curtain to enter the presence of God. Jesus died on the cross and tore that veil making a way for us to have access to the very throne of God. Premier access to the Creator of the world!
There were multiple levels available to us. Wouldn’t it have been a waste if we had only visited one? We had three levels of privilege. Why would we not receive from what was available to us? Jesus offers us multiple levels. We don’t have to stay in one place. He takes us to whatever level we’re willing to go.
We had several buffets of food. Oh, the food. Jesus is preparing a banquet for us. A banquet. For us! Talk about privilege. He is preparing a place for you and me. He makes room at the table for us. Pull up a seat. Take in the feast. It’s going to be spectacular.
No pretention is necessary. Come just as you are. Bring your authentic self. Jesus loves you as He called you to be. Whether gussied up or not so stellar, you have something beautifully valuable He desires to use for His glory.
Even when our planners may not have it mapped out, God orders our footsteps and directs our path. He opens doors to incredible experiences, memorable moments, and precious people!