Come and Dine

1987 National Coronation

by Ruby Poteet & Shirley Havens

If someone said, “Let’s have lunch together,” or “Come to my house and we’ll have a special dinner,” you’d be excited, wouldn’t you? You’d be expecting to talk and laugh and enjoy being with your host or hostess. That sounds like fun and we all like to have fun, don’t we?

What if this same friend said, “Will you do some work for me?”, or “I have to go away for a while, but there’s something that really needs to get done before I can come back. Will you see that it gets done for me?” That doesn’t sound like much fun, does it? Would you do the work anyway while your friend was gone? Perhaps because she asked you to, you feel obligated. Would you do it for what you could get out of it? Or would you do it because you had a really special relationship with the friend and you wanted to?

As queens, you’ve come to a very special point in your service for Jesus Christ. You’ve worked hard--very hard--to get to the step you’ve just passed. Sometimes, it hasn’t been fun. Sometimes it’s been an obligation which took a responsible, mature attitude to get it done. But looking back on all the workshops, lock-ins, camps, walk-a-thons, meetings, and presentations, I believe you can say that it has been fun, too. You’ve made lasting friendships and you have grown in your spiritual relationship with your Savior. And you’ve probably influenced more people than you can imagine by being a Christlike example.

SONG: “It’s My Desire” by Jimmy Pearce

I’m going to tell you a short story. It is a true story that happened at the sea shore.

A boatload of men had been out all night fishing, with no luck. They didn’t bring in one fish. It was just beginning to break light, when one of the men looked out across the water and saw someone standing at the shore’s edge.

The man on the shore called out to them, “Sirs, did you catch anything?”

“No, not a thing,” the men yelled back.

To their surprise, the Man on the shore said, “Try again. Only this time, cast your net from the right side of the boat and you’ll catch fish.”

So the men in the boat did just that. They threw their big net over the right side and began to haul it back in. Were they surprised! The net help 153 squirming fish and was ready to break.

One of the men in the boat (John was his name) recognized the Man standing on the shore. Another of the men, Peter, was so excited, he jumped overboard and began swimming to shore while the others rowed as fast as they could.

Jesus said, “Come and dine.”

He had fixed a nice, warm fire and had cooked fish for His friends’ breakfast. He had even brought bread. He took the bread and the fish and gave each of His friends something to eat.

That was Jesus’ invitation to come and fellowship with Him--to come and dine.

SONG: “Come and Dine”

He offers us an invitation like that, too. In Luke 12:36, 37, He said, “Be like those who wait for their Lord; be ready, be found watching, for I shall ask you to sit down to eat, and I will come and serve you.”
What an invitation! That’s the fun part. There’s a work part, too. That is what we’re doing now, while we’re waiting for Him to say, “Come and dine.” You’ve heard it read from Galatians, “Be not weary in well doing: for in time we shall reap, if we don’t faint.” As you have opportunity, do good to all people, especially to those who are Christians.”

SONG: “He Giveth More Grace” by Hubert Mitchell

That’s where you are tonight. You have come a long way. You are young women, nearly grown. The world beckons. It says, “You’ve worked hard, take a break. You deserve a break. It’s time to pack away dolls and programs and have a good time with your friends.” You must decide who is and who isn’t your friend. Will you be found faithful when He calls to you and says “Come and dine?” Or, will you have quit? Will you have turned away from your service to Him, from your relationship with Him?

I encourage you, as do your counselors, your parents, and your Sunday School teachers to keep on with the excellent work you have begun.

SONG: “Ordinary People”

On the long way to becoming a queen sometimes you may have thought, “I can’t, it’s too hard.” But, here you are! What joy there is in the hearts of those who have also taken that long walk up the aisle before you. Where have all the other queens gone? Some of them are still here, working with GMA. Some have married preachers. Some have just quietly slipped away. Which will you choose? Will you be working for Jesus when the invitation come to dine with Him?

SONG: “The Greatest Thing” by Mark Pendergrass