If you’ve been reading around here for a while, you may remember that I wrote for 31 days on the topic of white space last year. I continue to hear from many of you about that topic, and it is something that I still have to speak into my own heart. In those 31 days, we explored the importance of carving out space in our hearts, our schedules, our physical spaces to make room for God to move. And to make room for the people in our lives. To make room for community. Because life happens in the white space.
This year, I’m going to write for 31 days about what that community can look like, and about imperfect hospitality. About feeling the strong urge to fill a home with noise and laughter and friends and their children. To make messes and not feel pressure to clean them up when a friend pops by to say hello.
I say “imperfect hospitality” because this series will not be about preparing fancy meals (though I will tell you about some of my favorite meals) and it will not be about preparing perfect fancy welcome baskets for overnight guests. It’s going to be about the heart behind community and what can happen when we are willing to get a little bit vulnerable, let down our guard, and open up our space and our tables to the people in our lives.
Last year when I wrote about white space, we were living in my husband’s grandmother’s home about thirty minutes away from our community. We were in such a dry place when it came to community. We felt removed and cut off. And we couldn’t wait to find ourselves settled again, in our community, so we could begin to foster relationships again. We wanted to use our home as a place for friends to gather and for our children to see the importance of those relationships in our lives.
Since January, we have hosted friends and family at our home at least twice a month, and it has blessed our socks off. In the coming days, I’ll talk more about that, but I just want you to know that it has been so good for me to throw perfection to the curb, get in my kitchen (or call the local pizza place) and become an inviter.
I’d love for you to join me this month, and I’d love to know what you’d like to hear about regarding community and hospitality.
Acts 2:42-47
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 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. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
