Original post 7-2-2016
I am sitting in the loft area of a house my family has converged upon until Tuesday. There are eleven of us, plus one dog, living in a home that, technically, sleeps ten, and it is anything but quiet. You see, once more than one person is up and moving, the conversations start. It’s not that the conversations are loud, but I remind you I’m sitting in a loft, and every single voice is amplified. Why do I tell you this? Because of the beauty God revealed to me during my “quiet” time at 6:50 am on July 2, 2016.
I like to get up before everyone and get my quiet time in. Since I can be easily distracted, this is best for me, and I’m sure God appreciates it too! This morning, I got up at 5:45, thinking it would give me at least a little bit of a head start. Nope. I got my shower and let the dog out, and then Alex and Katrina were up, and then Brett, and then….well, you get it, people are up, and conversations have started. Time to press in!
Today’s devotional was on hospitality and a woman named Lydia in Acts. When Lydia opened her heart to the Lord, she immediately opened her home to the men of God who had told her about the Lord (Acts 16:11-15). This was followed by 1 Peter 4:9, which says to show hospitality to one another without grumbling. OUCH!
This verse got me. Do these things WITHOUT grumbling.
I got up wanting quiet time and had to let out the dog…grumble. I fixed my coffee and people were in the kitchen…grumble. Sitting in the loft, trying to read my devotional, everyone is talking…grumble. And then…
A voice that I have loved for 50 years broke through all the other voices. The voice of my mother in the kitchen. For as long as I can remember, she has opened her home and heart to anyone there. Every Thanksgiving, she stands in the kitchen over the waffle iron and lovingly cooks waffles for 2 hours for anyone who shows up. Some years, it’s been over 40 people. However, this is where the tears start; her time in the kitchen PALES to the hours and days she has spent praying for each of us.
When I was younger, I was jealous of her time in prayer. Why did God get all of her time? Now that I am older, I see so much beauty in her time with the Lord because now I understand. I understand that you need to spend time with the Lord getting filled up so that you can, without grumbling, show hospitality to those you love, the ones they love, and the ones that God puts in your life to pour His love over.
So, was my quiet time quiet? Nope. But was it beautiful and full of God’s sweet reminders? Absolutely!
To my mom, Carol, thank you for being a woman who understands the value of getting filled up to pour out. I love you!
Wendy Roseman 