I know a few of you reading this are horrified and question our sanity. Others shake their heads and say, "Well that works for you and Bryan but I would go crazy. I need my down time. I like my personal space. I don't want to entertain." Or, "How about your safety? What if they steal something? What about your kids? Do you clean the house all the time? What do you actually do with them?" The question asked the most is, "Why?"
Well because we made a promise. Right after we had our first child we were living in a town home and wanted to buy a house for our new family. With stars in our eyes we showed up at the bank thinking how bad could this be? Reality hit within minutes. Although we barely had any debt and really good credit scores, we did not make enough money. We were trying to sign up through the teacher/law enforcement program which did not require any money down but we did not qualify. We missed their target score by 11 points! As we got up to leave empty handed the loan officer said wait a minute there has to be something I can do! She made a few phone calls and pulled a few strings.....we got approved!
When the realtor passed us the keys and we walked through our new home, we were in awe that it was ours! Right then and there we made a promise that our home would be a place of peace, a refuge for others. We would open and use it to further God's kingdom to the best of our ability even when it hurt. We did not have a plan of action or even how it would all work out. It just kind of happened....What do we do? We have played dance charades, games, watched movies, had Wii contests, eat, yard work, but most of all we talk and live life together.
Has it always been easy? No, but it has always been worth it. Is our house big or really cool? No, it was a fixer upper and we still have a lot of work to do. Is it because you and Bryan are so much fun? Again, no. In the last ten years we have had three babies in the house, toys everywhere, the chaos of toddlers, construction in the back and front yards, a two year bathroom project, a small TV, no cable, and we just got AC three years ago!
Bryan and I are amazed and humbled that people come over as often as they do. But over the years we found out that they come because we make ourselves available to listen, to share life together, and to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. People want to be accepted, loved, and heard...
So yes it can be a hassle, we don't clean as much as we should, we go to bed really late, we usually put people before projects, our boundaries are blurry, we give up a lot of our personal space and time, we never have leftovers, chaos reigns! But as a family we are passionate about people. We are committed to leaving people less alone and less hurt. We made a promise....
Well because we made a promise. Right after we had our first child we were living in a town home and wanted to buy a house for our new family. With stars in our eyes we showed up at the bank thinking how bad could this be? Reality hit within minutes. Although we barely had any debt and really good credit scores, we did not make enough money. We were trying to sign up through the teacher/law enforcement program which did not require any money down but we did not qualify. We missed their target score by 11 points! As we got up to leave empty handed the loan officer said wait a minute there has to be something I can do! She made a few phone calls and pulled a few strings.....we got approved!
When the realtor passed us the keys and we walked through our new home, we were in awe that it was ours! Right then and there we made a promise that our home would be a place of peace, a refuge for others. We would open and use it to further God's kingdom to the best of our ability even when it hurt. We did not have a plan of action or even how it would all work out. It just kind of happened....What do we do? We have played dance charades, games, watched movies, had Wii contests, eat, yard work, but most of all we talk and live life together.
Has it always been easy? No, but it has always been worth it. Is our house big or really cool? No, it was a fixer upper and we still have a lot of work to do. Is it because you and Bryan are so much fun? Again, no. In the last ten years we have had three babies in the house, toys everywhere, the chaos of toddlers, construction in the back and front yards, a two year bathroom project, a small TV, no cable, and we just got AC three years ago!
Bryan and I are amazed and humbled that people come over as often as they do. But over the years we found out that they come because we make ourselves available to listen, to share life together, and to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. People want to be accepted, loved, and heard...
So yes it can be a hassle, we don't clean as much as we should, we go to bed really late, we usually put people before projects, our boundaries are blurry, we give up a lot of our personal space and time, we never have leftovers, chaos reigns! But as a family we are passionate about people. We are committed to leaving people less alone and less hurt. We made a promise....
"Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people...." Acts 2:46-47
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