Real Resolutions for Moms: Part Eleven

This is a picture of Big Boy and some friends at a birthday party last month.


Read previous posts in this series by checking out Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, and Part Ten.

"I will make our home a haven of rest and retreat from the outside world and a welcomed place for my children's friends, for with each impromptu backyard soccer game, each video viewed on a rainy day, each cup of hot cocoa or chocolate chip cookie, my children will have opportunity to practice the art of Christian hospitality thereby learning to share all God has given them."

This part is my favorite. So far. :-) I often think of what it will be like when my kids get older and pray that it will be our house that they spend time at. And pray that the Lord will expand our budget to feed a group of teenage boys.

While I know that I can keep my kids from spending time in less desirable places, I pray that they want to spend time in our home. That they feel it's a safe place to bring their friends. That their friends also recognize it as a safe place to be.

I'm reminded daily that time is short. They are growing all too quickly. So I pray for more patience, more calmness to sit down and listen, more peace to hear what they're really trying to say. I'm reminded to first make our home a place of retreat to them. A place that displays Christ's love so that they may welcome others into it.

Our book club reading has done wonders for enlarging my view of biblical hospitality. It's all about displaying the character of Christ. When there was a need, there He was. And there is a need in our world for Godly homes to open their doors to a hurting society. What better way to serve our kids and the world than to equip them to open their doors and lives, thereby expanding our reach even after they leave home.

"Lord, may my home always be a place of refuge. First, for my husband. Then for my children. Then for the world. May I be reminded to include them when preparing moments of hospitality. And may I remember that their generation has one of the greatest needs for it. Show me how I can make my home a safe place for these kids, both now and as they grow older. And may I never groan about a couple of extra mouths at the dinner table."