For generations, my family has been known to open their home for extended family members who need a place to live, for friends, and even for strangers who have been stranded on the interstate due to a sudden snowstorm.  My grandparents, for years, invited others into their home. Maybe this ‘learned’ behavior has become part of me, or at least I would like to think it has.

Years ago, my husband and I chose a house plan with an ‘open floor’ concept, wanting our living room and dining room to co-exist without any barriers of walls standing in the way.  On many Sundays after church, my family joins us for lunch, and I must admit, these meals have become some of my favorite times of the entire week.  If anything, I wish we had built a larger living/dining room area so that our dining room table could be larger.  If we could seat more people at our table, then our Sunday meals could include even more.

Yesterday evening as we prepared to eat dinner, and my husband voiced the obvious:  “Well, I guess we’re not going to sit at the table.” Right now, if you walked into our home, you could not see the top of our table for it’s loaded down with supplies purchased, borrowed items & even prepared foods from my sisters Jill & Mischele (bless their hearts).  Why, you might ask.

We are preparing for a feast, a party to celebrate three young ladies.

What began with a whispered invitation at the end of class has led to four years of a beautiful relationship.  One day from today, a few students will be crossing the stage to receive their diplomas, and while not all will come to our party, a few will attend.

This relationship that has become a ‘love affair’ began a day long ago during a typical English Composition course. A whisper comment to a young student led to a weekend where she stayed in our home.  Since she did not wish to come alone for the weekend, she asked if she could bring a friend.  “Of course,” I said because we are blessed in our home with several places to sleep.  What began four years ago with this one student has become a few university students staying in our home for long weekends, and for the past four years, we have become close:  sharing lunch meals together on campus, taking walks across campus, and spending time together in our home.  The Lord blesses us so much!

This group of young ladies come in our home for weekend getaways.  Busy times, Messy rooms, Filled seats at our table & most importantly—Jesus’ love shared.

Tomorrow, some of these young students will graduate, and their families, who have traveled thousands of miles to witness this event, will then ALL come to our home for a graduation celebration dinner.  Hopefully there will be thirty to forty people all together.

I AM SO EXCITED TO SHARE OUR HOME WITH THEM!

The LORD has provided each of us with a place to call ‘home,’ but are we allowing our homes to become “Giving” Homes?   &

The LORD has provided each of us who believe in His Son Jesus, His salvation, and our bodies have become His dwelling place, a ‘home’ for His Holy Spirit, but are we allowing ourselves to Dwell as a “Giving” Home?

Consider your earthly home.  Can it not be so many things?

• A place of safety.
• A dwelling of rest.
• One location where we can shut our door and find separation from the outside world.

BUT ALSO, an earthly home can be where we find ourselves building relationships.

This is when the LORD opens our innermost being, causing His Temple, His Home to become so much more.

• Do we want every second of our lives to count for Christ?
• Do we have difficulty letting go of this world to grab ahold of the Better Thing?
• Are we living for anything less than for servanthood to God?

If so, then we are walking and living in disobedience to the Father.

Soon, if we have believed and placed our trust in Jesus, we will sit together at the Lord’s table—the marriage feast—the supper of the Lamb.

Just imagine who will be seated at that table!  See who is already seated there.  See your loved ones who believed in Jesus, who have already gone home, who already dwell in heaven with Jesus.

• May we keep setting our hearts on the joy of seeing Jesus’ face.
• May we focus our lives walking in obedience to Him.
• May we attune our ears, listening intently for the Holy Spirit’s leading.

For this reason (the LORD’S free gift of salvation), we will soon enjoy a houseful of individuals, strangers, in fact, who have never shared a meal at our home.  Nonetheless, these ‘friends & neighbors’ will arrive on Saturday to share our table.

Why, you may ask.

• It is only because of the relationship the Lord offered me.
• It is only because Jesus’ Holy Spirit dwells inside me.

May we desire to Dwell as a “Giving” Home

After graduation & after the graduation dinner celebration at our home, I am sure I will cry as I hug these young ladies for the final time.  They will travel home to begin a new season of life; however, it is with joy that I hear their promises:  “We will come back to visit,” to which I replied, “Our home will always be a welcome place for you to come.”

So we pray:

Father God,

Help us to always remember that YOU are the giver of all things.  We are ever-grateful for the way you have gifted us with YOUR salvation.  Father, we owe our everything to YOUR goodness, to YOUR mercy, & to YOUR grace.  Help us to never forget that YOU have come to dwell within us through YOUR Spirit.  May we, LORD, be ever-mindful to dwell as a “Giving” Home to friends, family, strangers, and neighbors—for YOU.  We ask these things in Jesus’ name.  Amen.