This aspect of life I struggle with most - opening my door and opening my heart - most likely due to just pure selfishness. I like to escape to our shabby little apartment, put my pjs on, and watch Alias for three hours straight.
If I don't invite people over, into my house and into my heart, there's no one there to judge me, no one there to pay attention to, no one there to question my all-about-me lifestyle. But then, there's also no one there to love on my family, no one there to share new stories with, no one there asking questions that need answering.
My other problem: I know I'm leaving. No matter where we are, I know it's not for the long haul. In the back of my mind, the thought that we'll be leaving in one or two years haunts me and tells me it's no use, too much energy, not enough time to actually make a lasting connection with anyone.
And that, my friends, is a lie.
There is always time for a cup of tea. There is always time to let someone put their feet up. There is always time to love somebody. Do you know how much Jesus walked? A lot! From town to town, up and down Israel, from one mother-in-law's house to the tax collector's. He was constantly on the move. And yet, when the bleeding woman touched him, he stopped and asked her for her story.
If I'm going to proactively live in transition, we simply have to open our home to people. We need them to enter our chaos, understand our stories, pray for us or celebrate with us or mourn with us. And we have to do the same for them... or it's as if we never lived here at all.
No matter your transition - if you're in a moment of pain, or a moment of triumph - invite someone in to share a bit of the burden or the joy. Or at least a cup of tea. Let them see your mess.
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| Katharina, seeing our mess, which included a dissected baby grand piano in the dining room. |
Huge revelation coming from this post...Jesus ministered for 3 years...all over the place, He didn't even stay in one place for 2 years, yet the impact He made...eternal. Paul, same thing. Yet today, I have heard so many times, that it takes 7 years to put down roots and become an influence. But I am not going to believe it. I am going to stop thinking that I am shamming people by befriending them...pretending that I will live here or there for the next 30 years. Of course, I might, but if God has different plans for me, I haven't let them down...it certainly isn't cause to not befriend them in the first place. Looking at Paul, we can definitely see sadness and longing for old friends, but he knew that he was doing the Lord's will and there was no cause for guilt. This is changing something in me...need some time to digest.
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