Strangers in my home

Not everyone knows that I grew up with complete strangers staying the night or even living in my home.   Sometimes they spoke English,  sometimes they were from a different country,  sometimes they were a friend of a friend.  Sometimes we would know ahead a time that a certain number of people would be descending upon our home and sometimes we even knew their names and where they came from.  All we ever had to go on is that they were some how associated with one of our sister churches somewhere in the world.  That is it! And definitely not a lot to go on with young kids in the house.  But my folks did it. 

In 3rd grade on one of the nights we had strangers in our home we were all sitting around the dinning room table and my dad was explaining to them Salvation.  None of them had ever accepted Jesus as their personal savior.  None of them accepted it that night either.  But when everyone went off to their bedrooms I went to my mom and dad to tell them I wanted to accept Jesus into my heart.  Having strangers in my home is what brought me to my salvation.

I have met dozens of people who said "I stayed with your family once (and they were strangers when they stayed with us).  I will never forget
*how your mother just welcomed me... And those pancakes she made?  I still remember those
*I was in such a dark,  dark place but your folks let me live in your basement

The stories go on.  And I am sure my parents and my siblings have their own stories to share about welcoming in strangers.

I met a woman at Costco during the flood.  A week or two later her kids were staying at our house.  That experience had its challenges but it opened up my mind and heart in a new way.  My kids learned what it meant to open our home.  They also started to see the world in a different way.

Two weeks ago at MOPS I talked about my journey to making friends as a mom.  I joined every mom group I could on meetup.com  And then I just started inviting strangers into my home,  while my husband was away,  to hang out with me and my kids.  All I had to go on was a profile picture and random facts, and I just hoped they were who they said they were when they arrives at my doorstep. So on scheduled playdates at my home women would show up:
" Who are you?   Welcome! Come on in, can I get you some coffee?" 

Some of these strangers have become my best friends. So when I told the women at MOPS "just invite strangers into your home,  that is the best way to make friends," they laughed. I get it.  This is way out of people's comfort zones.  That is OK.  But it isn't for me. 

All of this is really weird and terrifying to a lot of people.  Maybe it isn't so odd to me because this is how I grew up.  But like I said in each of those circumstances someone benefited.

There are always exceptions and bad outcomes, I know.  Those are usually the stories we hear about.  But I wanted to share my experiences growing up in a household where strangers were welcome.

I want to hear other stories like this!  There is plenty of fear out there,  so please respect me and honor my request for positive stories of you inviting in strangers or you being the stranger.

When our words are cheap

I have a dear friend who has walked the walk when it comes to helping, serving, and advocating for others.  In her spare time she finds ways to advocate for others.  Professionally, she is also trained to serve and care for others.  She also is a mother to a child with cancer.  So she has added that to her plate, not that she or anyone would ever choose cancer.  Daily, she advocates for her own child. But she also makes calls and writes letters to politicians on behalf of all families dealing with cancer. She educates her friends on cancer, treatment, and funding.  Did I mention that while she is fighting for her daughter she also volunteered as a social worker at Celtic during the Great Flood?  She is compassionate, passionate and reasonable. She will take the time to educate and explain. 

Last week, as my friend was speaking up on behalf of an injustice, as she often does, a friend of hers said: "why don't you spend your time on something more important, like kids with cancer?"

Yes, read that again.  You read it correctly.  Sit with that for a moment. 

It goes without saying that is likely the most ignorant and careless thing a person could say to my friend. 

I am going to let you sit with all of that again.  Still in disbelief? I am.

Remember I told you that my friend takes time to educate other people?  Or that she provides comfort to other mothers whose kids have cancer? 

Childhood cancer, its funding and its treatment is a huge injustice.  She is in the trenches fighting.  She is extraordinary.  If there were ever a quota we needed to fill on fighting injustice I don't think there would ever be a doubt that my friend (or any parent in her situation) had not far exceeded her responsibility.

Except my friend does more.  She cared for strangers during the flood.  She is educating people on health care.  She is speaking out on behalf of the unloved locally and overseas. 

As if the original comment to my friend weren't horrible enough; this person hasn't done anything to support my friend whose child has cancer.  So she rebuked her for speaking out against social injustice. She told her to care about kids with cancer. Yet she, herself, has not done anything.

Yes, you read that correctly.  Yes, I agree, it is insane.

But I think that is where we are now.  We rebuke people for taking on a cause or a fight they find worthy.  We tell them there are more worthy causes. Yet when it comes to putting our words into action about those "more worthy causes" nothing happens. 

I had many friends blast the women who marched last week.  The people and the causes were not worthy, in their eyes. Fine.  Then they listed more worthy causes, like women in the Middle East. Fine.  Now, women in the Middle East are fleeing a war with their children.  So, if this is a cause someone feels is more worthy of our attention and energy then I want to challenge those individuals: what are you doing? 

We cannot use the injustice of someone else as a reason not to help someone else and then do nothing about anything! 

For the record, there isn't an injustice competition. An injustice is an injustice. And it is OK to care about and take action for more than one thing.