I would like to have a conversation about taking people into your homes. I am not talking about myself and my situation to navel gaze but to bring a sincere understanding into what it takes to take people into your homes. You see, I am one of these part-time extroverts that invite people in. Always have been. I have an introverted husband who turns into Mr. Extrovert at the dinner table and we both love storytelling so it comes easy to invite people to dinner. However TO LIVE WITH A PERSON is a different matter. Many of us feel called to do this and I thought this was a good opportunity to talk about it in light of Pope's Francis' request. I am going to write up something tonight and put it up here tomorrow to start the conversation. Think about your questions and such.
It reminds me of when Mother Teresa of Calcutta first walked ou of her sheltered convent and onto the ghetto, how frightened she was but how well it worked out. Good luck anyone who comes to stay in my place, there is hardly room for me. They would have to sleep in the broom cupboard.
We've done it under different circumstances. My mother in law had a massive stroke in her late 50s. Page and my father in law lived with us for several years until he passed. This was not easy, but still was family so tgere was a sense of trust. But, as my MIL became older it was harder to care fir her with both of us working and 4 kids. So we hired a live in aid who was of a different race, culture, and background. Because she was essentially f/t, she brought her young teens who also lived with us. At first, it was not easy - lots of people under one roof. And completely different cultures . But, there was a goodness in our house- slowly as crazy as it sounds a "family" was created. My kids learned in this experience to not look at race, color or creed in judging others. Even after my MIL passed years later, our new family needed another job, but often came back for visits and even extended stays. So, it can be done, but a trust does need to build.
I have a feeling that many of us here will be called upon to shelter-n-provide for strangers in the next few years ...... and will have to Trust God to give us the wherewithal to make it through The Storm! GOD SAVE ALL HERE!
Charlie made mention of you today....ahha I think hes buttering you up Crew... hes lookin for a foxhole down the road.....Im teasin ya!!!! God Bless my Brother
I'll start out by saying when we moved to Montana we prayed and prayed to sell our home in Washington. First to St. Joseph, then to St. Jude. After a year, our home finally sold. We were exhausted of moneyafter paying two mortgages and were so thankful that we promised St. Joseph that this was his home and that if he were to bring people here, let his will be done. We would be the open Inn. We also wanted to be a good example to our children. To show them that this is how charity works. It takes discernment, prudence, and planning. There are some things that you 'don't let the left hand know what the right hand is doing.' Others, you have to plan for. My teens have given their own rooms up many, many times and slept on the couches to allow people to have a comfortable place to sleep and privacy. Many times they have fought over who got to give their room to our company and it was thrilling to see the joy in them when they described this holy person who slept in their bed! I collect linens. I love those space bags that shrink everything into manageable flat cubes to slide under beds. My son came home recently and laughed when he said he had spent the night a friend's home and it never occurred to him that other families didn't have 50 blankets stored throughout their home for guests to choose from! The first time we had a family stay with us we had discussed the possibility a few weeks before. As God would have it, my husband and kids had gone to adoration and come home talking about an index card on the bulletin board there. It said the family had been traveling around working the 'Personhood' Campaign in the U.S. The mom and dad and two kids who were homeschooled wanted simply a floor to lay their sleeping bags. I suggested we call and ask them to dinner, then we would decide. At noon Mass the next day we saw them dressed in their matching Personhood t-shirts and invited them to dinner that night. When they left we discussed it as a family and decided that they would fit right in. They stayed six weeks, and we were able to give them a large bedroom so they didn't have to sleep on the floor and we had a lovely time. They cooked on and off, they left in the mornings and many times didn't come until dinner time. We learned how dedicated some people are to the pro life movement. Willing to leave two lucrative jobs, willing to get arrested, willing to leave family and friends to sleep on floors of stranger's homes to save babies. We had some great conversations over meals and we realized that holiness comes in all forms. We still keep in touch five years later!
