We prone- to- procrastinate types have been pondering our reluctance to have people in our homes. (True, some procrastinators would quickly open the door to others because they are putting off something else!) If our struggle is wanting a House Beautiful/Pottery Barn home into which we can welcome people, we should take note of the story my dear friend shared with me.
Preparing to host her church ladies group, she stared at the holes in the living room curtains, dismayed because she knew she could not replace them. She decided that at least they could be freshened. So she washed and ironed the curtains, and hung them back up. She didn’t apologize or say anything about them. The event came and went.
Weeks later the group met in another home. As my friend was leaving, she complimented the young woman who had hosted their group. The young lady responded, “Oh, you are the reason I hosted today! When we went to your house and I saw the holes in your curtains, I thought, ‚”If SHE can have us here with holes in her curtains, I can have people over to our house too!'”
Even our “hole-iness” ministers. Praise God! There’s no reason to hold back on reaching out to others because of my flaws or the ‚flaws’ in my home. That’s when Jesus moves! And what He does is way better than what I do! How delightful that a young woman lacking confidence steps out and welcomes people into her, “imperfect” home because another follower of Christ did the same thing!
Why do we delay? Is it the holes in the couch? Is it the “hole” where I want to place two new chairs? Is it the holes in my cooking ability?
What makes a house beautiful anyway? Isn’t it the beauty of the Lord? It’s the Holy Spirit who dwells within each person whose home that is. Through us He welcomes and nourishes the souls who spend time there. He is the One who makes each of us and that time beautiful.
My friend had hoped the ladies would be ministered to in spite of the holes in her curtains. Instead, they were ministered to because of them.
What holes in your house can you commit to the Lord for His use?
[* WordPress Simple Firewall plugin marked this comment as “pending” because: Human SPAM filter found “oy” in “comment_content”. *]
Beautifully put. The LORD touched my heart to open my door to visitors several years ago. It has helped me make better friends and enjoy people more. I do host things more often than before but preparing for a lot of people to enter my home (especially ladies) can be quite intimidating. Thank you for your encouragement.
Oh, Beth… This really spoke to my heart! My old kitchen needs a total makeover from top to bottom and it is easy to be envious of my friends’ updated ones. God used this post to bring me along in my journey of “hole-iness” since I have hesitated hosting groups of ladies.
Oh, Mary, hesitate no more. The warmth of your heart and home will be what ladies take away. They will sense the presence of the Holy Spirit and be glad they were there.