Home. When you think of this word, a picture of a house usually comes to mind, right? (maybe not this actual picture). God has rocked the meaning of this word for me these past few weeks...
Let me explain...
I ate dinner at the Murray's house (Babs Murray is on staff here on Chattanooga YL) a few weeks ago. It was such an incredible feeling to be sitting around a dinner table with this family...the conversations, the laughter, the delicious food AND dessert...
I was chosen to be there that night; to be a part of that great conversation that I may have not have encountered if I was at my "home"...
I was chosen and I felt at HOME....
I spent the night at my friend Emily's house last week. We made/ate dinner together (well...she made it, I cut some bread) and the conversation was great. We even watched the movie "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" on VHS. She made me feel so loved by taking care of me that night..making sure I had enough blankets, giving me a towel so I could shower the next morning, giving me a few good laughs before bed...I saw Jesus in that.
I was chosen and I felt at HOME...
My friend Olivia and Tess have been nice enough to open up their house to me...anytime I wanted it. Olivia said to me, "Anytime you need your own space, time alone to yourself, or just need to take a nap or anything and I'm not home, please come over and do that", and then proceeded to hand me a copy of a key to their house that she had made for me.
I was chosen and I felt at HOME...
I got the chance to head back down to SharpTop Cove for Workcrew last week. TN Staff Regional Conference was last Wednesday through Friday and I had been asked to come be a helping hand. Some of the Year Long Interns were still there, so instead of sleeping in a cabin by myself, they graciously opened up their home (my old home) to me. There was a moment when most of us were in the kitchen where I realized something about the word home...I talked in my last entry about how God has revealed to me that you don't need walls or a roof to call some place a home...but He reminded me of it there, which I feel like He does so often, so that we never forget where He has shown up. I think the few days I was there would have looked so different if those year longs weren't there. Those girls...they know me. We lived life together for 3 months. And I was so encouraged by them while I was at SharpTop Cove again. So I'll say this again...home has nothing to do with a roof or a comfy bed or Pinterest crafts all over your walls..it's about the people, and ultimately, it's about love...
I was chosen and I felt at HOME...
This past weekend (and even for a few more days this week), I was located at Mari Vanderwoude's house (she is our office admin and she is incredible). She was out of town and graciously opened up her home to myself and my friend/future roommate Mary Moore. My friend Mary and I walked in, put our stuff down, and sat down on the couch, and looked at each other...we were at home. We had an amazing weekend...playing piano, watching Friends, laughing, talking about life, talking about Jesus, crawling into our creeky bunk beds, making eggs together for lunch, driving to Knoxville together for a wedding and back..and I loved what Mari had told Mary before we got to her house...
"Please eat anything you want. Make yourself at home! And if you don't eat any of the food, I'll know..."
Jesus was taking care of us. He always had been, and He always will...and how did he do it these past few weeks? By choosing this community to take care of us and to show us His Love in a new way.
I remember those moments before the summer ended where I was terrified to ask people for help...I didn't want to be a burden to anyone...I didn't want people to "take care of me"...I just wanted to do this alone. But we weren't created to do this life alone. God created Eve for Adam so he wouldn't have to be alone (Genesis 2:18;22), Jesus had 12 disciples and then eventually sent them out two by two (Mark 6:7), God chose Aaron to go alongside Moses on his adventure to free the Israelites (Exodus 4:14-16)...there are so many more scriptural examples...
But the one thing you notice about those communities...He is ALWAYS there, because He loves them. He has chosen each and every person I've encountered these past few weeks to shelter me...to clothe me...to feed me...to talk to me...to laugh with me...to just sit with me...so that He could remind me of His Love...
I was chosen and I felt at HOME...
"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance to his pleasure and will- to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has FREELY given us in the one he loves." -Ephesians 1:4-6
An update on $ for Student Staff...I have over $600 in with just people sending in money (better than $250!). This is excluding what people have donated via website (I will find out the total in the next few days). God is good. Always. I was chosen. You were chosen. Don't forget that.
Think about it.
With love,
T
Let me explain...
I ate dinner at the Murray's house (Babs Murray is on staff here on Chattanooga YL) a few weeks ago. It was such an incredible feeling to be sitting around a dinner table with this family...the conversations, the laughter, the delicious food AND dessert...
I was chosen to be there that night; to be a part of that great conversation that I may have not have encountered if I was at my "home"...
I was chosen and I felt at HOME....
I spent the night at my friend Emily's house last week. We made/ate dinner together (well...she made it, I cut some bread) and the conversation was great. We even watched the movie "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" on VHS. She made me feel so loved by taking care of me that night..making sure I had enough blankets, giving me a towel so I could shower the next morning, giving me a few good laughs before bed...I saw Jesus in that.
I was chosen and I felt at HOME...
My friend Olivia and Tess have been nice enough to open up their house to me...anytime I wanted it. Olivia said to me, "Anytime you need your own space, time alone to yourself, or just need to take a nap or anything and I'm not home, please come over and do that", and then proceeded to hand me a copy of a key to their house that she had made for me.
I was chosen and I felt at HOME...
I got the chance to head back down to SharpTop Cove for Workcrew last week. TN Staff Regional Conference was last Wednesday through Friday and I had been asked to come be a helping hand. Some of the Year Long Interns were still there, so instead of sleeping in a cabin by myself, they graciously opened up their home (my old home) to me. There was a moment when most of us were in the kitchen where I realized something about the word home...I talked in my last entry about how God has revealed to me that you don't need walls or a roof to call some place a home...but He reminded me of it there, which I feel like He does so often, so that we never forget where He has shown up. I think the few days I was there would have looked so different if those year longs weren't there. Those girls...they know me. We lived life together for 3 months. And I was so encouraged by them while I was at SharpTop Cove again. So I'll say this again...home has nothing to do with a roof or a comfy bed or Pinterest crafts all over your walls..it's about the people, and ultimately, it's about love...
I was chosen and I felt at HOME...
This past weekend (and even for a few more days this week), I was located at Mari Vanderwoude's house (she is our office admin and she is incredible). She was out of town and graciously opened up her home to myself and my friend/future roommate Mary Moore. My friend Mary and I walked in, put our stuff down, and sat down on the couch, and looked at each other...we were at home. We had an amazing weekend...playing piano, watching Friends, laughing, talking about life, talking about Jesus, crawling into our creeky bunk beds, making eggs together for lunch, driving to Knoxville together for a wedding and back..and I loved what Mari had told Mary before we got to her house...
"Please eat anything you want. Make yourself at home! And if you don't eat any of the food, I'll know..."
Jesus was taking care of us. He always had been, and He always will...and how did he do it these past few weeks? By choosing this community to take care of us and to show us His Love in a new way.
I remember those moments before the summer ended where I was terrified to ask people for help...I didn't want to be a burden to anyone...I didn't want people to "take care of me"...I just wanted to do this alone. But we weren't created to do this life alone. God created Eve for Adam so he wouldn't have to be alone (Genesis 2:18;22), Jesus had 12 disciples and then eventually sent them out two by two (Mark 6:7), God chose Aaron to go alongside Moses on his adventure to free the Israelites (Exodus 4:14-16)...there are so many more scriptural examples...
But the one thing you notice about those communities...He is ALWAYS there, because He loves them. He has chosen each and every person I've encountered these past few weeks to shelter me...to clothe me...to feed me...to talk to me...to laugh with me...to just sit with me...so that He could remind me of His Love...
I was chosen and I felt at HOME...
"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance to his pleasure and will- to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has FREELY given us in the one he loves." -Ephesians 1:4-6
An update on $ for Student Staff...I have over $600 in with just people sending in money (better than $250!). This is excluding what people have donated via website (I will find out the total in the next few days). God is good. Always. I was chosen. You were chosen. Don't forget that.
Think about it.
With love,
T
