A Spare Key.

"I can’t fold my arms 
and simultaneously reach out 
for my Savior."  

~ Katie Davis 

When I met Mark, I had a house key in the hands of Melissa, another one given to Trish, a third to a friend from church, and a fourth sitting in the drawer for whoever else may need one.  My friend Lindsay had moved in for the month of August, and I had laid the table for ten, using every chair I could find and piling them around my table with white plates and candles and dinner ready to be spread.

Within weeks of dating, a fifth key was in Mark's hand and my table served for another seating of ten, and between those weeks were multiple conversations with friends on couches and chairs with tea or cookies or ice cream or anything that could be served, by means of food or love.

I remember Mark asking about why people had keys to my house, and me feeling gospel-convicted about homes and money and life and love and space and probably parading my reply in more emotion and words than he ever anticipated.

Because that is how I feel.

I feel we are given home to offer a space.  To let friends stay in bedrooms filled with clutter or furniture, air mattresses or beds, and offer them warm breakfast in the morning.  Or leave the door unlocked so the traveling friend can swing by on their way home and grab reprieve.  Or invite someone from church into intimate life, by way of the couch and a cup of tea.  There is joy in this opening, in the inviting people in.

My favorite memories in this house are where I (or now we) have welcomed in guests or strangers and simply offered what we had -- our home.  It finds Kara at my table with goat cheese ravioli and vodka sauce and our hearts sprawled like the napkins on our lap.  It finds Kendra and Daniel playing Ticket to Ride for the ninth time, fondue still dipping with chocolate drizzling.  It has Katherine and Matthew here while I was away in Michigan, a space for their marriage to share.  It finds Trish and Blair and Judy at Soup night, and countless conversations over tea to follow.  It finds James playing Fishbowl and Diane pregnant in the chair, or Blye forking eggs with Megan over biscuits.  It finds Kate and Clara in the bedroom, Amy eating Krusteaz at the table, or Laura drinking Pino in a chair.  It finds Abby baking cookies, Gordon with chocolate cake, or a neighbor's dog settled for TV.  From Bloom Brunches to pizza nights to Breakfast Club to sharing the morning sink, this home has shared its space with Love.

When we offer what we have, what God has given us, the blessing of our time and space and kitchens and home, we offer what the Lord has bestowed upon us.  When we let people on our air mattresses or in our empty beds or on our wooden chairs or fluffed within our couches, we give them what God has said was good.  It's the place, the space, the peace we offer, which starts in our hearts, and can be shared in our home.

The opening quote captured this image, reminding me of Proverbs, "She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy"  (Proverbs 31:10).  For with opening our arms to our Savior, we open our arms to his people.  So I am rejoicing in the reminding -- to pour an extra cup for tea, and always keep a spare key.

~~~
Quote taken from  http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/   on April 23, 2013