The Come-As-You- Are Party

The Come-As-You- Are Party

I am a self confessed extrovert. I love people and  I love crowds of people and I love parties, parties full of people. I emotionally bounce into a place of excitement and happiness when surrounded by hoards of people. I love to receive invitations and I am always eager to attend any event I am invited to, from weddings to children’s birthdays to Christmas gatherings. I am bound to clear my schedule to try and appear, it if at all possible, to anything that involves celebrations and gatherings of people. My most favourite party is a themed dress up event. I love the challenge of creating an outfit based on the theme. When I arrive at the party I enjoy all the different ideas that people have come up with for their attire. 

Wild animal party ~ a tiger

Zebras

International Night, My Aussie husband and me from Papua New Guinea

I definitely have had my favourite themed parties. I have attended a cowboy party, colour themed  ones , Bible character events which  included a  Lazarus all mummified, a Super Heroes party, where I went, of course, as my own Super Hero, Super Sue and my husband was Mighty Mike. I have been a tiger, a zebra, worn a variety of hats, including a one that looked like a spider, dressed in International clothing at a wide variety of events, attended Australia day parties, Hawaiian and beach themed parties and one of my favourites was a backwards themed party. At this party we all wore out clothing back to front. We sang “Happy Birthday" backwards and we cut the cake and ate dessert before the main part of the meal. There have been many laughs and lots of fun with family and friends.

Super Sue and Might Mike

Hat party ~ The Cow and the Spider

Different friends of mine have attended other themed parties, which they have, with much laughter told me about. One friend was woken suddenly by loud, insistent knocking at the front door early one Sunday morning as she was just emerging from bed. Sleepily, while still in her pyjamas, she traipsed to the door as the knocking grew only more intense. As she opened the door, there stood several of her friends enthusiastically yelling, “Surprise!!!! You have been invited to ‘a-come-as-you-are’ party!”. In her groggy state, my friend’s mind tried to register what the excitement was exactly all about. As everyone hastily jumbled their words over everyone else, the realisation slowly dawned on her that she was invited to a party and all the guests were to wear exactly what they were wearing at the moment of their invitation, which for her meant attending a party in her pyjamas. There was eventually much laughter and fun as my friend did go to the party in her pyjamas and she found all friends attending in either similar attire or sports uniforms, work uniforms , evening wear, gym apparel or casual at home clothing. 

Bible characters

Hawaiians

Jesus invites us to “come as we are” to Him and He will receive us. It is not about our clothing like at my friend’s party, but it is about our hearts, who we are inside. So often we hang our heads in shame, thinking that somehow we need to do better, act more appropriately, or be good enough to come to Him. Jesus asks us to do none of those things. When we come to Him, just as we are, He loves us and then works in our lives to take us from where we are, to who we can become in Him. Come to Jesus, just as you are and allow Him to do an amazing work in your life today. Will I come? Will you come?

Matt 11:28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

Rev 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let the one who hears say, "Come!" Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.