The Point of a Home

Home. So many people have different definitions for this word. Some that just make me laugh are...
A man's home is his castle
Home is where the heart is
A family makes a house a home

Now these are meaningful definitions, well maybe not the first one, but any way. The more I live out here the more I see the point of a home is fellowship. It is not about making a place were just a slect few enjoy its comforts. It is a place were doors are open, all are welcome, and where people feel the presence of the Lord. It is not a nice neat home with everything in its place. It is a place where the broken sit, the hurt find healing, and the weary know rest.

Countless beleviers see their home as "their space." The place their family finds rest and peace. But what if that is not the only thing a home should be use for?! I look at the scriptures and it clearly shows that Jesus used homes as one of the main places of ministry. He came for a meal or a place to rest His head but, so much more happened. People heard truth. He healed the sick. The broken were touch with the LOVE of their Father.

This concept, a home is a place of ministry, is something the Lord is teaching me. Out here people spend time together, they have meals together, and they come to check on you when you are sick. This all takes place in homes. It is a natural place people gather. It is a natural venue to speak truth to so many people around you.

Just look (a verbal look) at the complex I live in. There are four missionaries living in this building. Each of us have been called to a different role here in Uganda, but all of us use our home for ministry! My sweet neighbor across the hall has little ones from our neighborhood over all the time. They get to play, make cookies, and have her tell them how loved they are. Just today the little girls were in and out of her apartment. They were full of giggles and smiles. Daily these little girls help carry water, cook, clean, and look after their siblings. They love their times of just being kids in my neighbor's home and she loves having them over.

The couple that lives upstairs, open their home to any missionary traveling through Kampala. Just this last week they had someone stay with them because our AIM guesthouse was overbooked. They do this countless times a month. They care for the travelers, spend time getting to know them, and praying for them. Yes, the people coming through already know the King but they see their home as a place of ministry for traveling missionaries.

My door is always open! The Lord has touched my heart for missionaries coming and going and the ones that live right here in Kampala. This past week I had a missionary form South Sudan over for dinner. The couple upstairs came down and we all shared a meal. We prayed over our friend before he flew back up to South Sudan. Last month I had two sweet MKs over for a girl's sleep over! We had a blast! Watching movies, cooking, and doing nails. The other day a friend came over for coffee and to chat. She was thinking about a lot of things and it was a joy to sit with her and listen and then, pray with her. STer ladies are always in and out of my home. They come and enjoy a weekend away from ministry. They LOVE cooking and baking. The door is always open for them, and they know it.

I know this view of home and ministry was not there when I was in the States. God is teaching me, showing me, telling me through His word what a home is for. Daily I ask Him to show me more. I know there is so much more to learn. Daily I pray my home, the home He has blessed me with, would be use the way He wants it to be used.