"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11
"The LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted."
Isaiah 61:1
When Julie, Nick and Addy arrived, they said our new house felt like home because we were here. Suddenly, because they were here and the house smelled like our family's favorite meal together, our new house felt even more like home to us, too.
Tom was born in Florida, I was born in Georgia, Julie in Alabama, and Nick in Louisiana. Both our parents now live in relatively new homes and sometimes it's hard to know where to call home, as in "Yes, we're heading home for the holidays." I know the cliche, "Home is where your heart is," is true, but we've been blessed to have our hearts stretched to cover at least a half a dozen states, including Arkansas, our home for the last year, and North Carolina where we've spent many cozy hours at the Noland cabin. We've found that home is certainly not a single location, but any place we've enjoyed healing, fellowship, and nurturing. God always sends certain members of His family to open their hearts and doors to make us feel at home, which is why Lucado's quote below rang especially true for me this morning:
"It's no accident that hospitality and hospital come from the same Latin word,
for they both lead to the same result: healing. When you open your door to someone,
you are sending this message: 'You matter to me and to God.' You may think you are saying, 'Come over for a visit.' but what your guest hears is, 'I'm worth the effort.'"
--Max Lucado, Live Loved
Mostly we think of isolating ourselves to recuperate from the day's efforts. We see the work involved to prepare and impress guests, when all they need is an open door, a warm spirit, and a place they feel accepted, important, and at home.
Father, You gave us family on many levels: the intimacy of immediate family; the roots of extended family; the joy of church family; the community of neighborhood family; and the brotherhood of humanity. You created us to need each other, so help us rise to the occasion when we want to selfishly sink into our sofas. Energize us with the joy of service and the love You have for people. Guide us to know how to be "people people" when it doesn't come naturally. Show us the big picture so we don't waste our lives getting comfortable here on earth. Equip us with Your Spirit-gifts and help us bring as many people as possible home with us.
In the Name of Jesus Who had no place to lay His head on earth yet fed 5,000 hungry people
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