Be Generous with Your Home: Day 85; 100 Days to Brave

Some of my favorite author friends are hospitable. You might imagine that is the norm since my bent is "Christian women authors" and that seems like a given. But no, actually, two authors who come directly to mind are men. Christian, yes, but men, none-the-less. 

I have talked many times about my great love of Bob Goff and Donald Miller. Two authors whom I greatly admire and enjoy. In their everyday lives, they have brought this practice, this being generous with their homes, into play. 

Bob has a custom wherein he has every guest who visits his home sign his or her name under the table. I think they may also sign some kind of encouragement or share a memory. I imagine his table to be entirely full of guests all the time, as he also welcomes people to his home where he has them do practices like ninja warriors in trees, and swimming in lakes. He is good -real good- at getting people out of their comfort zones and they are better for it.

Don and his wife, Betsy, have an expression, a word or a phrase they use to describe their home. When all of the world can be harsh and cruel, difficult and unfair; when the world looks for reasons and ways to knock you down, their home, they concluded, will be a safe place. A place of refuge. 
It's been too long since I have read Scary Close, but in it Don shares their word. I think it is sanctuary. 
Their home is their sanctuary.
(Don, are you there? Talk to me, Don. Or Betsy. Help a girl out.)

This is what I am listening to as I type. How. Incredibly. Lovely.:

And in my real life, it is the Indiana family, humble and yet precious. Their home is small. They saved a long time to upgrade their tiny kitchen, and yet, their home has proved so meaningful. It is one of the most inviting places. A place where we play cards and take naps. Where B.S.M. went as a teen and swam in the pool which was not his, but felt like his because of the intentionality of generosity within the family; within the home.

Julie, sharing her expensive nut mix with me while I was poor and hungry, needing a friend and cheerleader. She made her single room, which was her sanctuary, a place of rest for me as well. To go: eat, cry, and seek kindness.

I imagine if you stop and think, you can remember a few people, a few homes, a few memories, where love was overwhelmingly there and the ministry of an open door was available to you.

I hope you can. 

In today's Scripture, Annie includes Hebrews 13:16, which, through the Message translation, says this:

Make sure you don't take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship- a different kind of "sacrifice"- that takes place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets. (all emph. mine)

So good.

As if you need further prompting that the home, and the kitchen, are for ministry, there's this:

Target, $5

Be Brave: 

Invite someone over to eat dinner at your house. 

Let him or her ...live in your family for a bit and... be seen and cared for.  

(emph. mine)