A Night of Mystery

" Aladdin was murdered!  And someone stole his lamp! Who killed him and why?"  Those were the first words I read when I opened the attachment in an email I received last week.  I had been invited to a murder mystery party and the host was sending everyone their character name and description along with the mystery.  

Everyone was to arrive in costume and bring something for everyone to eat or drink.  The party date was promising to be a wonderful evening of silliness and fun.

So I thought it would be appropriate to try my hand at making an Arabian dish.  Below is my first attempt at Fatayer.  It is homemade dough with spinach filling.  The spinach has many spices that I found in an Arabian recipe.  And they turned out to be delicious!  I was so relieved.

My mother and I decided to make my costume out of old fabric I had been storing away for a few years now.  It was a fun project for us to do together and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  And I had an excuse to borrow my mother's jewelry for the event.  :)

When I arrived at the party I was happy to see that others had gotten very excited about their costumes too and a few even arrived already acting as their character.  It was hilarious.

By the time the party ended everyone was exhausted but happy.  We had a wonderful time and a few of us helped the host clean up afterwards.  He was so surprised and said that in all the years he had hosted these parties no one ever offered to help clean up.  That surprised and saddened me. Surely Christians should be jumping at the chance to help fellow brothers and sisters with tasks like that.  I'm glad I and a few others helped him out this year.

All in all it had been a good evening.  Although many of us did figure out who the murderer had been no one caught him before the game ended and so he got away.  But it wasn't such a bad night for my character.  I found and used the magic lamp. :)   

Looking back on that evening I started reflecting on things.  I sometimes wish I could have three wishes.  I sometimes wonder what it would be like to have lots of riches.  I wonder too what I would be like if I had lived in another time and place.  And then I realize that its just silly to wonder these things because they are not possible.

And then I start thinking about everything I do have.  And I am reminded that I am living exactly where and when God wants me to live.  And I don't need riches to be happy.  I'm already rich in all the things that truly matter!  Who needs wishes when your father is the Creator of the Universe!

How amazing is God?  That was my thought when I was sewing my costume with mom.  We can only make things out of what is already existing.  God creates from nothing.

And as my friends and I have talked about the mysteries and silly goals we accomplished in our  game I wondered if that is what Heaven might be like.  Will we all be able to ask each other questions about what happened here on Earth?  Will we share our experiences and stories with each other?  More than that, will be able to ask God what it all meant?  See things from above instead of below the woven pattern of so many lives?

I'm certain that heaven is going to be so amazing! Better than any party or friendship or joy this world could ever offer.  Everything pales in comparison to finally being reunited with Christ!  Can you imagine talking to Him face-to-face?!  Can you imagine Him listening to you and looking right at you and wanting to hear your questions?  Its just astonishing to me!

What do you hope for when you think of heaven?  I think its healthy to wonder about our real home from time-to-time.  It is a mystery.  God is a mysterious God and He loves to be pursued just as He pursues us.  What an extraordinary and beautiful God!

" Yet I am confident I will see the Lord's goodness while I am here in the land of the living." 

~ Psalm 27:13