We have a new houseguest for the coming year. His name is Ben Dinh. His father and mother are Free Methodist VISA missionaries to Taiwan- Khoa and Tammy Dinh. They were seeking a place for Ben for his senior year in the U.S. in preparation for college. The house is filling up again. Our daughter-in-law (Chelsea), Ben and about 15 house plants all live with us. We were empty nesters. Now we are "no bedroom left unused" folks.
I don't know how this happens. But, our house has always been an open one. We have enjoyed Tanya, J.D., Jessica and others for up to and beyond a year. We are no exception in this endeavor. Some people I know have adopted, fostered, guardianed, or just opened a bedroom for children, the aged, the physically challenged or the temporarily down and out. We've done a few of those. I believe my sister and brother-in-law have done all of them. We are novices at hosting folks. We have never set out to enlarge our family or take folks in. It just happens. The Lord opens the door and so we open ours.
I think that is the way the Christian life will always be, at all times and in all places. There will always be countless people who have plans, but God's plans unfold to spoil or alter our plans. That's o.k. The main thing in all of this is that relationships must matter. If they matter, we will be inconvenienced. If they matter than other things will matter less. We must submit our desire for ease for engagement. God has taken us in. We should take others in. I encourage open houses throughout the land. I pray that plans will be subordinated to people. I pray that people becomes the plan.