Looking back I see that my mom was a lover of people. All people. I wasn't raised in what you would call a "christian home", but I realize this is and was a very real picture of Christ. Still today my mom connects amazingly with all kinds of people. It is beautiful to watch. Needless to say I want to be like her when I grow up. Hee Hee!
As long as I can remember, my parents have kept a constant "Open Door Policy" with their home. They have made it a point to keep their hearts, their lives and their home open to all, all the time. I think the most beautiful part about this has been that they have not only welcomed their friends and family with open arms into their home, but also the emotionally and physically needy people that are often harder to love. Especially during the years when my siblings and I were teenagers, there was a constant flow of kids in and out of their house, looking for love and conversation and some food. My parents were constantly restocking the fridge and attempting to get the carpets clean, but they always, always valued people over things. I love how my parents created an atmosphere of love and acceptance in Christ's name.
I remember the moment I realized the extreme extent to which they had taken their "Open Door Policy." We were moving out of a house we had lived in for 8 years, and they could not find a single house key to turn over to the new family moving into the home. They had not locked their doors in so long, that they literally didn't even have a key anymore. They had entrusted their home and their possessions to God and had quite completely given them over to Him for his use all those years. As far as I know, they never had property stolen or damaged... even though there were some quite "rough" characters that visited them on occasion. I think their acceptance, love and hospitality over the years has shown Christ's love to literally hundreds of people, and I hope that I can grow to become more like them in this way.
2 comments:
Looking back I see that my mom was a lover of people. All people. I wasn't raised in what you would call a "christian home", but I realize this is and was a very real picture of Christ. Still today my mom connects amazingly with all kinds of people. It is beautiful to watch. Needless to say I want to be like her when I grow up. Hee Hee!
As long as I can remember, my parents have kept a constant "Open Door Policy" with their home. They have made it a point to keep their hearts, their lives and their home open to all, all the time. I think the most beautiful part about this has been that they have not only welcomed their friends and family with open arms into their home, but also the emotionally and physically needy people that are often harder to love. Especially during the years when my siblings and I were teenagers, there was a constant flow of kids in and out of their house, looking for love and conversation and some food. My parents were constantly restocking the fridge and attempting to get the carpets clean, but they always, always valued people over things. I love how my parents created an atmosphere of love and acceptance in Christ's name.
I remember the moment I realized the extreme extent to which they had taken their "Open Door Policy." We were moving out of a house we had lived in for 8 years, and they could not find a single house key to turn over to the new family moving into the home. They had not locked their doors in so long, that they literally didn't even have a key anymore. They had entrusted their home and their possessions to God and had quite completely given them over to Him for his use all those years. As far as I know, they never had property stolen or damaged... even though there were some quite "rough" characters that visited them on occasion. I think their acceptance, love and hospitality over the years has shown Christ's love to literally hundreds of people, and I hope that I can grow to become more like them in this way.
Post a Comment