Across the miles they drove, journeying four hours north on washboard roads until they reached this country hill.
“We want to talk about the conference,” they had said on the phone. “We can fill you in on the details in person. The more you know about us, the easier it will be for you to prepare.”
I heard their words, but I was deaf to their hearts because as the date of their visit approached, the puddle of panic around me grew deeper and murkier. The faithless ponderings multiplied:
They’ll be sorry they traveled all this way to meet someone so ordinary. What if they want to quiz me on my theology? I’m sure they’ll take one look at my tiny kitchen and my beat up wooden floors and decide that I’m a mess, too.
This, for me, has been the challenge of the Christian life: to boldly welcome others into the mess that is me, and then to trust – to trust that God will build a bridge between our hearts and to trust that others will respond with acceptance and love.
This has been the challenge of the Christian life: to boldly welcome others into the mess that is me, and then to trust that God will build a bridge between our hearts and that others will respond with acceptance and love.
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As it happens, my new friends arrived a few minutes late – GPS’s aren’t much help out here! More importantly, though, when they showed up in my driveway, they did not arrive bearing an impossible yardstick or hearts of judgment. They were not expecting me to look or sound like a conference speaker or to live in a museum of Pinterest perfection.
We exchanged warm hugs and settled down to business. They shared their stories and described their community, drawing me into their fellowship of women:
the diligent seekers after Truth;
the heartsick lovers of prodigal children;
the faithful caregivers who bridge and mend the generations;
the patient prayer warriors who battle daily on behalf of unsaved husbands.
We broke zucchini bread together and my worries about my mum-jeans and sub-standard housekeeping practices were forgotten as we engaged in sincere prayer for the planning of the conference and for the women who would be challenged by the Truth.
I was the girl with the teakettle on the stove and my Canadian grandmother’s delicate cups and saucers all arranged to receive guests, but these women who had traveled across two state lines on an early Monday morning were the true extenders of hospitality.
They transcended geography, opened their hearts, and welcomed me into their lives in the spirit that Paul describes in Romans 15:7:
Therefore, receive one another just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.
Stretching out both hands to receive the world, Jesus’s act of cross-shaped love still flattens the barriers that appear so insurmountable to this fearful and self-protective introvert. God is mightily glorified when, by grace, we reach across the artificial boundaries of politics, race, or denomination in order to truly “receive one another” in unity and acceptance.
Wanting to send my new friends on their way with sweetness, I pulled tiny jars of apple butter from my basement shelves. But the greater gift that day was offered to me — the priceless welcome and deep hospitality of friendship.
Holding You in the Light,
Jesus’s act of cross-shaped love still flattens barriers.
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A New Bible Study Plan on YouVersion
I’ve created a 13-part study that gives you an overview of The Epistle to the Hebrews, a letter to a congregation of struggling Jewish Christians written by an unknown author sometime before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. We will be landing on a few verses in each chapter with the goal of big-picture familiarity, as opposed to mastery of this fascinating and complex book. CLICK HERE to go directly to the plan on the YouVersion site or find it on the app.
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On the third Thursday of every month, I send a newsletter with biblical encouragement straight to my subscribers’ email inboxes. Frequently, I share free resources, and the newsletter is where everything lands first. I’m committed to the truth that women can become confident followers of God and students of his Word, and it’s my goal to help you along that path.
To add this free resource to your pursuit of biblical literacy, simply CLICK HERE. There, on Substack’s website, you’ll find a prompt that looks just like this image for Living Our Days with Michele Morin. Over on that site, simply enter your email and then click on the purple “SUBSCRIBE” button.
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Living Our Days 
Welcome to the mess & chaos of my life!
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This reminds me of those who think that once they become a christian life becomes easier. Of course that is when it gets really tough.
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Thanks be to God, we don’t face the challenges alone!
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This is such a lovely story/remembrance.. new friendships can be so hard when we feel like we are opening ourselves up.
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Yes, and I am having to learn to assume the best about people and to take the risk of extending myself in their direction.
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These ladies sound like absolute gems, Michele. Maybe this isn’t the case for every single person. But when we look past all the surface details–some of which we feel completely define us–I think we have far more in common with most people than we might imagine.
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They were precious and I still count them as friends. There are waaaaay more people who qualify for “friend status “ than I used to think!
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For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.
Matthew 18:20
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Exactly!
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We had a lady in our church whose husband was a retired pastor. She had a health disorder that affected her voice. Some of our people were leery to talk with her. I learned to look beyond that issue with her voice and found she had a Christlike heart. She came to see me at least three times when I was in a nursing home for therapy. She chose to move into a home run by our former denomination. It is quite a distance from where I live. I have times when I miss her.
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I love the way you connected in spite of all the reasons NOT to! And I am sorry that you had to say goodbye…
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thanks for this reminder that hospitality is offered back and forth in relationship with each other. none of us is sub-standard in the eyes of the One who called and gifted us to serve Him and those He brings onto our path. literally.
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I’m so grateful for the opportunity to learn that from the sweet people who have sat around my table over the years!
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I love this post; it reminds me to focus on the important things and not the superficial ones we think will impress. It also requires a mindset shift. I so appreciate this post.
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Yes! We serve our guests as Jesus served—not to impress but to bless! The emphasis is on THEM!
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I struggle with lots of anxiety when we have guests, because I’m not that great a cook, and I always worry about how things look, so I appreciate this post and your thoughts on what’s really important.
On another note: are you sure we’re not related.?!!My grandparents came to Maine from Canada, too! All my mothers side of the family is from Nova Scotia.
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My roots are in New Brunswick, but given the amount of cross-border activity back in the day, I would say that anything is possible! We may well be cousins!
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My grandparents and the rest of the family that stayed in Nova Scotia were from the western part, closest to New Brunswick, so who knows!!
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I think most people would be much more comfortable in a home that is *not* Pinterest-worthy. We might like to look at those online, but we wouldn’t feel comfortable living there. It’s hard to let people see our imperfections, but that helps them relate to us.
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I agree. We’re not called to put on a show, to be saying, “Here I am!” Rather, it’s all about saying, “I see you! There you are and welcome!”
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Michele, Thank you for joining us on our Grace & Truth Link-Up and sharing your valuable contribution to our community! Your words hit home with me. I will proudly feature it on my Pinterest board for Grace & Truth Featured Posts. You can see your feature here—
We have had some changes to our link-up. You can see all of them here.
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Thank you, Maree, for your always encouraging words!
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I love this story. I’d love your apple butter.
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I need to make more! Wrote it on the calendar for this fall…
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