Psalm 23:6 – Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. (NRSV)

We came to visit. This was little more than a boarding house and our Youth in Mission team was trying to offer a little variety to a summer's afternoon, a little variation to the tedium of the tenement house.

The lounge was full of people, talking, sharing, doing crafts, dozing, sipping coffee, and about a dozen other little things that helped pass the time. Judy and I talked — nothing really big, nothing terribly profound, and nothing that would change the world. I wanted to get to "know" her — the kind of life she lived here, her hopes and dreams and desires.

She spent the afternoon surprising me.

I let go of a lot of preconceptions and prejudices as the afternoon wore on. As she shared more of the story about her life "at home", on the streets, and now here, I finally got the message that she was sending. All this that surrounded me was "home", and all those in this room were her "family". She had invited me into her sacred place, into her home. All I could say was "thank you", and cross the threshold.

Ephesians 3:14-15 – For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. (NIV)

2 Peter 3:13 – But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. (NIV)

Prayer: Lord, in you we live and move and live out our lives. In you we find our true home and our place in the universe and the family we so desperately desire. Help us to live our lives in your presence and in your power always. Amen.

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About the author:

Kenn Stright <kennethstright@yahoo.ca>
West Petpeswick, Nova Scotia, Canada
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