01 Dec Open your heart to open your home

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:6-7 (NIV)

Unexpected relatives.

Unexpected company.

Unexpected anxiety?

‘tis the season! Each year the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years (with Christmas at its heart) represent one of the best opportunities to open your family to others. Examples include extended family, friends, and even college kids who live too far to make it home.

But how? Here are three helpful lessons God taught us over the past few years.

Lesson #1: Extended family means extending grace

When a buddy of mine “Will” (not his real name) lost his job and then a house to live in, he humbly turned to his friends for shelter. Upon learning of Will’s situation, my bride Suzanne sensed God’s call to have him join our extended family for nearly two months. Will inhabited our basement, often tidied up, and even occasionally cooked meals: he was a consummate guest developing a relationship with not only us but also with each of our five kids. Priceless! Sure, there were some awkward times, but we all learned an important lesson: extended family means extending grace.

About a year and half later, Will and his fiancé asked me to marry them: I joyfully accepted! And all this occurred because God gave us the gift of extended family by extending the grace God models for us.

Lesson #2: Open your heart to open your home

Opening up your home can be a bit daunting, right? But there’s something you must do first: open your heart! And that, my friends, requires both prayer and submission. When we pray for people who need a home (that’s ALL of us!) and allow the Spirit of God to lead us in His glorious work, we can sense God giving us the courage to open our homes.

The image that accompanies this update is a humbling example of how God allowed us to provide a “home away from home” for our daughter Elizabeth’s two Messiah College roommates these past couple of years.

Lesson #3: Follow a godly example

Perhaps the best example of opening your home comes from God’s Word concerning the Nativity story. On the night of Jesus’ birth, Joseph and Mary desperately sought shelter to deliver the Christ child. As the story unfolds, many doors were shut; there seemed to be no room available for them.

But, in an act of God’s providence through one Bethlehem family’s open heart, a stable became an unlikely home to welcome baby Jesus!

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:6-7 (NIV)

During this time of celebrating our dear Savior’s birth, we rejoice that we have a God who knows us (Jeremiah 1:5), who walks with us (John 14:16), who loves us (John 3:16), who died for us (Romans 5:8), and who ultimately saves us (Matthew 21:9)! There can never be a better Christmas present than accepting the beautiful gift of eternal life that Jesus freely gives us!

One Bethlehem family made a difference by opening up their home to the King of kings. Imagine the difference you can make by opening up your heart and home this Christmas time!

Joyfully,

Travis L. Zimmerman

Pastor and Co-Founder

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