"Exactly!"

I can't remember the date, not even the year, but I remember it like it was yesterday.

At church my pastor was teaching on one of the parables -- the one about the wedding, where the "well-to-do" folks didn't bother to show up. They were all too busy to come to the wedding, so the king went to the so-called dregs of society and pulled them into the wedding feast. They were all given fancy clothes, but one guy didn't want to wear them and went in with his rags on.

The king confronted him. "Hey, how'd you get in here?"

But since he wasn't willing to wear the wedding clothes he was tossed out on his behind.

For those who don't know me personally, I'm a bit of a smart-alack. On the ride home from church I said, "I'd have told the king I was invited." My sister said, "Exactly!"

You see, that's the point of the parable. You're invited. Nobody's forcing you to even show up, much less wear the wedding clothes. The people who were supposed to be celebrating the wedding were all too busy with their everyday lives, and couldn't be bothered to have a feast. So the king asked the "dregs" to come.

That whole story about the king (God) asking His people (Israel) to come to His Son's (Jesus') wedding (heaven). Since the people were too busy and distracted with their life, He invited the poor and destitute.

Some of them don't want to come. They're happy in their rags, and don't want to put on the clothing of God's Son. So they can't get to heaven. It's that simple. You're invited, but if you're not interested you won't be forced.

That day in my mom's car (I was a teenager), that one word from my sister, was a pivotal point in my walk toward God.

Sometimes all it takes is a word.