Tonight, N is sleeping on our church's gym floor. He'll probably only sleep an hour or two, then get up at 4:00am to clean bathrooms, move mattresses, tidy the kitchen, and mop floors. Our church is a Room in the Inn host. Every Friday night, we host 12 men who have no where else to go. Some of them wait for hours outdoors in a line for the opportunity to eat a hot meal and sleep in a warm place. I helped with food service, but N is giving up a night of sleep...that is a big sacrifice to serve a fellow man in need.
With Christmas upon us, thinking of just the phrase "room in the inn" makes me stop and think. Mary and Joseph needed room so that Jesus could be born...and they never found it. Well, they found a stable, but that was hardly sufficient for childbirth and caring for a newborn!
Here I am with many material blessings, a warm home, bountiful foods that I like to eat, a job, a loving family to help me when I ask them to...I could go on and on! Surely, we all have some "room in the inn" to offer to people who are hurting. Maybe I don't open up my front door to people, but I can pass on some bliss and some blessings by helping out a brother who needs a sack lunch. Maybe I don't offer counseling, but I can lend a listening ear. Maybe I skip a night of washing my own dishes to wipe tables and clean plates.
I have a lot of "room" in my life to give to others. Sometimes I excel at this; other times I don't. In 2012, may we all ensure that we focus on offering love, hope, and grace to people who need it.
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