Small-Home Hospitality

We have a small home. Any time we have more than a handful of people over, our guests sit on the stairs when the couches and chairs are full. A couple of years ago we hosted a small group that grew to nearly thirty people. So I prayed that God would literally make physical space for every person who came into our house. And He did. It was tight. Each stair doubled as a seat and many people sat on the floor. And it was hot, even when the air conditioner blew on high. But we read the Bible, sang, and prayed together, and people came back—and brought friends. And no one complained. No one told us they thought our home was hindering what God was doing. That’s when I quit apologizing for our home. That’s when I stopped letting my hospitality button get pushed by what we didn’t have and what I couldn’t control. I realized that if God could fit thirty people into our little house and that all those squished people could encounter His truth and His goodness there, the square footage didn’t matter. It wasn’t holding Him back. So until God moves us, this home is the one we have and I will be grateful for it.

This is an excerpt from our 365-day A Moment to Breathe Devotional Journal.