When we first begin our lives as adults, we always do what we have always done. Meaning if you grew up in a house that served a huge weekend dinner you will usually cook a huge weekend dinner. If you grew up in a house where you were taught to turn off all the lights except for the room you are in then that's probably what you'll do in your first house. It comes down to habit and tradition.
I grew up in a house where my parents had a few close friends but we never really had guests or company unless they were from out of town. Now mom and dad would hang out with their friends, don't get me wrong. But we never really were the house party hosting people. Now my husband's family is a completely different story. They had people over all the time or they were at some one's house all the time or they all went camping together. Luke grew up with a family who were party hosts for sure.
Luke and I together have always been somewhere in between. Just a few friends...parties every now and then. But it would get old and we would retreat and just be us. After the about 7 years or so of our marriage spent away from home we got used to lots of retreat, less company. However, over the last 2 years (thanks to my New Season Church family) I have become quite the opposite. I love having company. Small groups, onesies, twosies, huge groups...I just love when people come to see us. But we're usually happy when they leave lol.
Since moving to Chattanooga I have had the joy of having my brother in law live with us and having my own brother even come and stay the night a time or two. My in-laws have come to stay twice now and we have had SOME kind of company every weekend since we moved. I keep waiting for it to get old but it doesn't. I was worried about being lonely with out my friends here when we moved and so I prayed that God would put people in my life that needed us, needed our help in some way or maybe just needed a real friend. Like it usually goes with God I have been surprised at who those people have been. It has been a blessing. And now starting tonight we will have another long time guest for a while and we're so excited to be able to help out.
It's funny sometimes, how God uses us and how we don't always see it because it's not the way we thought it would be. I prayed for prospective this week and got it. Luke and I above all else want God to use us. We hoped to fall into a good church just like we did the last one...hasn't worked out that way. We were starting to feel like we were letting God down, like we weren't serving and connected. Then I got that perspective. We have been able to help our brothers and I am growing great relationships with their wives, who have become such sweet friends. We have reconnected with old friends who needed some encouragement. And now we're in a position to help out a sweet girl who had few good options.
Bottom line, just because we don't get used by God the way we want to be doesn't mean we aren't getting used. God puts us where he needs us even when we don't understand why. I have spent weeks being disgruntled because I didn't have a church home. Now I'm content to be patient, God is using our lives and our place in life to work in the lives of others. He has given us the responsibility and the blessing of company.
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