No Need for a Stable, There is Room in the Inn

Over the past 16 years Matt and I have been blessed by visits from many family and friends.  I'm not talking about "come on over for dinner" visits, I'm talking about overnight guests who travelled hundreds, to thousands of miles to see us.

In that time our guests have slept on the living room couch, living room floor, the kids' bunk beds, air mattresses (some that deflated in the middle of the night), futons and a few times in my bed.  We often had to do some serious rearranging to get enough beds set up for our guests.  On a few occasions we farmed out guests to a local hotel, our unfinished basement, and once a friend's house.

We are really quite blessed to have guests come and stay with us, we have many friends who never receive visits from family when they are stationed far away, but I always wish that I could provide a more comfortable place for our guests to stay.

Enter: our new house.  Barely moved in, we had the pleasure of having my aunt and uncle come stay with us this past weekend.  It was so nice!  They had their own guest room, with an actual door and closet, and there was plenty of room in the house for everyone to enjoy whatever activity they wanted to engage in.  The kids could do their thing in one place, while the guys did their thing, and my aunt and I enjoyed our time together.  I would have liked for there to be curtains hung, pictures on the walls and some more warmth added to our home, but for the first time in ages I felt like our home was big enough and welcoming for house guests.

As I walk through the halls and rooms of the house when it is empty, I marvel at the blessing that it is and that it will be.  My cousin once commented that God has blessed her with her home and property and it is her response to use it to serve Him and serve others.  That is my prayer for this home.  It is big enough, it is in a fabulous part of the country, and I truly love hosting friends and family in our home.  Whether it be for an afternoon visit, dinner, or an overnight stay, I pray that our home will be a blessing to all who enter and that I will use this place and my abilities and resources to provide love, laughter, peace and comfort.