The King's Table

This past December I got a call from my friend Scott. He told me that he was taking a trip to Mexico with a few of our friends, and he wanted to know if I wanted to join them. Before I could politely decline because I didn’t have the time or money, Scott said, “I want you to come and I want to pay for everything.” 

Well, I mean, if you insist …

Camille gave me an enthusiastic green light and I said yes to the trip. After much waiting and anticipation, last week the trip finally arrived. From beginning to end, it was extravagant. I arrived in Nashville on Sunday night, to have dinner with Scott and his wife, Maleah, before we embarked on our adventure. I offered to Venmo them for my portion of our feast from Edley’s barbecue, but Scott said (in his very Scott way), “Bro, I got this.” 

And that would prove to be the tagline of our adventure.

When Scott and I arrived to the airport early Monday morning, we checked in and he handed me my ticket. I thought there had to be some mistake. This ticket said “First Class”. I had only flown first class one other time in my life, and I’m pretty sure we took out a second mortgage to make that happen. But it wasn’t a dream, we boarded the plane as first class passengers.  I sat down, dabbed my face with a moist towelette, ordered a Mimosa and watched the commoners shuffle past me to the slums, a.k.a the main cabin. For a few hours we lived like Kings. At least that’s how I’ll choose to remember it.

The view from our room in Puerto Vallarta

We stepped off the plane in Puerto Vallarta and rendezvoused with our friends, Jonathan and Devin. The four of us hopped in a cab and were promptly in route to the Hyatt all-inclusive (did I mention it was all-inclusive) resort. Now a couple things you might be wondering… Who in the heck is this guy Scott? And why did he fly you guys down to Mexico?

I feel like it is important to give a little background when explaining my friendship with Scott. Not only because I’ve known him since I was a baby (or at least since I developed a cognitive memory), but also because our friendship is wrapped up in a bond shared by 7 dear friends. Devin and I have been best friends since we were toddlers. I think I stayed more nights at his house when I was in high school, than I did my own. Seriously. I’ve known Jonathan since we were 8 years old, and he became one of my closest friends in high school. We’ve both been on Young Life staff for a decade and I’ve shared more adventures with him than anyone else in my life. Our other dear friends, Jimmy, Daniel and the other Jonathan decided not to join us on this trip, but I have plenty of tales of adventure that include them. To put it simply, the seven of us are not just friends. We’re brothers. Friends who’ve spent a lifetime together, and will (in the words of the great literary giant, Jay-Z) “ride or die” to the very end.

And this trip to Mexico wasn’t just about a couple days on a beautiful beach; soaking in infinity pools, enjoying free drinks, eating great food, crushing tourists from St. Louis in sand volleyball, smoking cigars, telling old stories and talking late into the night. We had a mission.

As I sat out on the beach that first morning, reading the Scriptures, worshiping Jesus, watching the sunrise and gazing out into the horizon at the edge of the ocean, I was struck by the profundity of the moment. Scott had brought us to Mexico to wade into the deeper waters. We spent 4 days talking about how we could “do life better.” We identified areas of resistance in our lives. The things that were holding us back from our callings, our dreams and our personal happiness. We focused on the 5 F’s: friends, family, finances, fitness and faith. 

We laughed a lot, cried a little and dreamed big. Not just for ourselves but for one another. It would be impossible for me to communicate the richness and depth of every conversation. But there was one particular moment, something that Scott said, that stuck with me. It was a “Bro, I got this” moment, but this time Scott put it in a far more profound way. He said, “Guys this is what I dreamed about. What I always wanted to do. As the Lord has blessed me and my family financially, it has allowed me to bless you. Because of Jesus, I have been invited to feast at the King’s table, and I feel like now I just get to serve you at His table.” Our adventure was an embodiment of Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

Our trip was just that. Feasting at the table with my dear friends. Tasting and seeing the Lord’s goodness. I came back a better husband, father and friend. I have a renewed vision, a more clarified calling, truth in place of lies I had been believing and a reminder of the incomparable gift of true friendship.  

(from left to right) Devin Maddox, me, Jonathan Drinkwine, and Scott Stephens

Throughout the trip we struck up many conversations with other hotel guests. When we would tell them about who we were and what we were doing there, people almost couldn’t believe it. And it opened a door every time for us to share the Gospel and to give them a glimpse into an authentic life; a true and better Kingdom. People consistently stood amazed at the depth of our friendship and our shared purpose that we had found in Christ. 

In his book, The Four Loves, C. S. Lewis famously said that friendship is born in that moment when one person says to another, “You too? I thought I was the only one”. And he went on to say,

“In friendship...we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years' difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another...the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting--any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking no chances. A secret master of ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you," can truly say to every group of Christian friends, "Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another." The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.” 

Almost everyone who I’ve told about our little escapade to Mexico, has responded with the same sentiment, “Man, I need a friend like Scott.” Well I do have a friend like that. In fact I have a few of them. And I’m incredibly grateful that the Lord chose them for me.