The Secret to Imperfect Hospitality

The carpet was dirtier last week. And for that matter, the children were whinier, the counters more cluttered, and the bathroom (aka home-of-the-dirty-diaper receptacle) smellier, and to top it all off, the hubby and I had a slight philosophical disagreement that we both had some strong opinions about.

I also had Special Company last week. As in my ministry-partner, talk-on-the-phone-four-times-a-week, little-sister-I-never-had, knows-I'm-starting-a-blog-on-making-home-a-place-where-heaven-meets-earth kind of Company.

Yes, it was a "business" trip, and even though Makayla gets the "unfiltered Amber" and loves me anyhow, I still had these visions of welcoming her into a "heavenly" environment and blessing her with a time of spiritual refreshment.

Those fuzzy specs? They are not supposed to be part of the carpet.
And the conglomeration of  toys? They didn't get picked up for a week!

But who am I kidding? My carpet is always dirty, my kids frequently whine, it isn't unheard of for the hubby and I to respectfully challenge one another's opinions, and if cleanliness is next to godliness, then I am sunk.

The only difference is that I noticed it all more because Makayla was here. And it bugged me all the more because Makayla was here. (Granted, my routine was also a little different because she was here.) My only claim to hope was that my hubby-chef waited on us hand and foot and served up all sorts of Satisfying and Energizing treats.

However, Makayla is a pretty special gal who carries the kingdom of heaven with her wherever she goes. She is like good-news in really cute boots. Which she found on ebay. :-)

She did exactly what Jesus instructed His disciples to do. She brought peace. And joy. And she loved on the girls and cheerfully helped me clean the kitchen. She brought the Kingdom with her.

Makayla and the Rigglets...and the almost miraculous capture of
all three of my little girls looking into the camera at the same time!

Without saying a word, she reminded me that bringing Jesus' presence and ways to a place isn't so much about trying to recreate perfection as it is about how we respond to the imperfection that surrounds us. Not just in our homes but in the world.

We can respond to it with anger or negativity or criticism. We can rail against it and lecture. We can get frustrated and make apologies for it. Or we can do the thing that is harder. The thing that requires more self-control and more creativity. The thing that requires more Spirit.

We can patiently invite it to become something that it is not. To transform whines into laughter not by telling the whines to give it a rest but by creatively tricking, I mean training, the tongues to form words of thanksgiving instead. To deal with life's messes while dancing and singing to a soundtrack of joy instead of stomping in silence. To intrigue and disarm anger with compassion.

To realize that hospitality isn't about inviting someone into a perfect environment, but is rather about welcoming them into a realm where imperfection is tamed by grace.

My home will never be the picture of perfection. It is an imperfect building full of imperfect people who leave messes behind them wherever they go, and not just in the physical sense.

And it is to us that Jesus says, "I have good news." For the Kingdom of God isn’t about our own power – it’s about His.