Good morning, everyone.
Our verse for today comes from Philemon 22, “But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you.”
I never knew that six weeks could go so fast. Back in 2011, several children from Belarus arrived at our church. Having travelled for hours over thousands of miles by plane, bus, and van, they were amazingly energetic and alert. And our family was fortunate enough to be hosting a sweet, 14-year-old girl for a brief part of that summer. We had fixed up the house as best we could to make her feel welcome, but we weren’t prepared to have her come in and completely invade our hearts. Throughout history, so much has been accomplished in forty days. God flooded the entire earth with forty days of rain. Jesus fasted for forty days and endured the temptations of Satan as He began His ministry on earth. Moses went up on the mountain for forty days and received the commandments from God. Even today, there are 40 days of a purpose-driven life, and scores of self-help programs that preach the value and permanency of doing something or stopping something for forty days.
But this was different. It didn’t take forty days for the effects to take place. The very night we got home, she offered twice to help clean up from dinner, even though she was not hungry and did not eat anything. By day two, I had lost count of how many times she had said, “Thank you.” And each day, the grip she had on our hearts got tighter and tighter. No matter where we went or what we did, her smile filled the room. She hugged everyone she met, and was the first to greet me each day when I came home from work. Now, it may not have been this ideal for every family that hosted a child. Our little angel just seemed to fit right in and become a part of our already-large family. Some kids in years past haven’t clicked as naturally. But my word to you is to open your heart to someone with a different last name, or a different skin color, or a different social status. Share your good fortune and your gift of life with someone else, just because you can. Dare to open your heart, if only for forty days, and see what might happen. The guarantee is that somewhere, someone on this earth will not be the same.
As we seek Him today, ask God for an abundance that you can pour out on someone else. Whether love, time, attention, or a place to stay, find something that you have that someone else needs.
Have a great weekend and I’ll be with you again on Tuesday.
#4 Rich Holt
Dad of Ripken, Koy, TrishaJean, Samantha, Kakie Holiday and Raleigh
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.
