Friday, May 27, 2011 - While You're Up . . .

"I am going to send you what My Father has promised;  
but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." 
Luke 24:49


Tom's family grew up playing the dinner table game called "While you're up . . . " 
How to play:
1. All players sit down at the table to eat together. 
2. During and after the blessing, and during the meal, each player (diner) makes mental lists of everything they wish they had done or brought to the table before being seated. (Examples: turning out the kitchen light, getting a forgotten condiment, fetching a serving spoon, letting the cat out, running to the store to buy napkins, and so forth.) 

The Original Nolands
LR: Doug, Tom, Dad (Bob), Mom (Lee), Robyn, and Ed

3. All players watch each other carefully to see who will be the first person to forget they're playing a game and stand from the table. This player is immediately designated the "loser."
4. Other players "win" by saying "While you're up, would you please  . . ." (insert mental lists). 
5. The number of "winners" is limited only by the number of players still seated, however players can only be considered as winners if they submit a request to the "loser." 
6. Winners win the luxury of remaining seated and eating while "loser" plays "go- fer" and fulfills each request satisfactorily only to eat a cold meal, or to stand again as he/she goes to warm the meal in the microwave and thus starts the whole "While You're Up . . . " process again.  
    I'll bet the disciples in the Upper Room played "While You're Up (or Out) . . . " as they waited and prayed in the Upper Room in Jerusalem for those ten days until Jesus' promise was fulfilled.  I imagine it was a bit like waiting for the call that the baby's on the way. No one wanted to leave the room to get a bite to eat, no matter that stomachs were growling as loudly as people were praying. I'll bet there were some really fast runs to outhouses.  Can't you hear a couple in the back debating who's turn it was to go home and let the dog out because neither one want to miss the "power from on high" experience?  Can you imagine how sweet church would be if no one left until the "power from on high" had clothed each one? Sometimes I wonder why we're all so anxious to leave a place where anything could happen if we all prayed with the intensity and patience of the believers in the Upper Room. 
God, save me from giving up too quickly. I don't want to be the one who misses out and feasts on the leftovers of other people's experiences with You.
In the Name of Jesus, Whose promises will always be fulfilled! 
Photo from the family album