Thomas turns three today but he doesn’t live in town so we celebrated his birthday early at the zoo. We saw some animals, rode the carousel, and hiked a mile uphill to hit the splash pad before lunch. It was hot, mighty hot, so we lingered over lunch and walked through the aquarium before heading home.
My phone rang while we were lunching. The name on the caller ID caught me off guard until I remembered I had only recently sent out my graduation cards. I excused myself from the table with a smile and said hello, anticipating the entire conversation until the familiar voice on the other end of the call asked, “Are you home?”
It’s funny how much I rely on expectation any given day. I greatly overestimate my own ability to anticipate everything. I was, in fact, not home and wouldn’t be for several more hours. Plus, my daughter and her boys were currently occupying my guest rooms. When they come into town, she and her husband have the guest master and the baby is in the crib in the room adjacent. It’s not even a matter of space. We have plenty of beds and bathrooms, just not necessarily conveniently available.
But I know this kid-the voice on the the other end of the line. And actually he’s not a kid anymore. He’s my nephew, my baby brother’s boy. He called me on a Friday afternoon as he was driving into town to be a groomsman in a friend’s wedding. He needed a place to crash for the night and according to GPS, we were the closest. I believe he said something like this: your house is right across I26 from the church (give or take a mile or twelve!) I love his spontaneity and honestly I’m embarrassed to admit he probably heard the hesitation in my voice as I tried to plan out all the details in my head, but, overhearing my end of the conversation, my daughter offered her room, saying, “I can sleep in the babies room tonight.” And so it was set.
“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.
He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you.
Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’”
Luke 10:1-11 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/luk.10.8-9.NIV
I’ve always seen from the disciples perspective, rolling into town unannounced and unexpected and how they must have felt, without giving much thought to the heart of the host and hostess. God obviously had their hearts and their attention too, and they were rewarded with God’s peace. By their willingness to open their homes to these men, probably strangers to them, they were ushering in the kingdom of God, preparing the way for Jesus to be welcomed and isn’t that my job too?
“Always be joyful because you belong to the Lord. I will say it again. Be joyful!
Let everyone know how gentle you are. The Lord is coming soon.
Don’t worry about anything. No matter what happens, tell God about everything.
Ask and pray, and give thanks to him.
Then God’s peace will watch over your hearts and your minds.
He will do this because you belong to Christ Jesus.
God’s peace can never be completely understood.”
Philippians 4:4-7 NIRV
https://bible.com/bible/110/php.4.4-7.NIRV
My nephew just completed a summer of travel with Student Life camps. He was the drummer, part of the worship leadership team traveling between several locations in the midwest, far from home and family. He sat with my daughter and I for several hours after her kids were in bed relating stories from his travels, of taking shifts driving the vans, sometimes in daylight but often overnight, that carried his student ministry team partners from one location to another, of following equipment trucks, of getting stuck in mud on a detour, of setting up and breaking down equipment for each location, of lack of sleep and an overabundance of fast food or cafeteria food.
A much clearer picture than the few posted on his social media account began forming in my mind. A messier, planned out but full of surprises, servant kind of image- the kind Jesus demands of His followers. More blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape. Expect the unexpected. If you’re like me, imagining you know all the details and have accounted for everyone and everything, Ephesians 3:20 dispels any notion of that in one breath.
Traveler, drummer, itinerant pastor, college graduate on the way to his friend’s wedding or his first job, mother, father, student, teacher, host or hostess-
“Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this.
He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination!
He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.”
Ephesians 3:20 TPT
https://bible.com/bible/1849/eph.3.20.TPT
All what, you may be wondering? What could be infinitely more than all I could ask for or imagine? I’ve got a pretty good imagination! The apostle Paul, writing to God’s church made up of you and me and every follower of Christ Jesus throughout the ages, prayed,
“So I kneel humbly in awe before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the perfect Father of every father and child in heaven and on the earth.
And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power.
Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life.
Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions.
How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is!
Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God!”
Ephesians 3:14-19 TPT
https://bible.com/bible/1849/eph.3.14-19.TPT
“Never brag about the plans you have for tomorrow, for you don’t have a clue what tomorrow may bring to you.”
Proverbs 27:1 TPT
https://bible.com/bible/1849/pro.27.1.TPT
“Listen, those of you who are boasting, “Today or tomorrow we’ll go to another city and spend some time and go into business and make heaps of profit!” But you don’t have a clue what tomorrow may bring.
For your fleeting life is but a warm breath of air that is visible in the cold only for a moment and then vanishes!
Instead you should say, “Our tomorrows are in the Lord’s hands and if he is willing we will live life to its fullest and do this or that.””
James 4:13-15 TPT
https://bible.com/bible/1849/jas.4.13-15.TPT
“Be ready with a meal or a bed when it’s needed. Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it!”
Hebrews 13:2 MSG
https://bible.com/bible/97/heb.13.1-4.MSG
“But make sure that in your hearts you honor Christ as Lord.
Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you about the hope you have.
Be ready to give the reason for it. But do it gently and with respect.”
1 Peter 3:15 NIRV
https://bible.com/bible/110/1pe.3.15.NIRV
“Preach the word.
Be ready to serve God in good times and bad.
Correct people’s mistakes.
Warn them.
Encourage them with words of hope.
Be very patient as you do these things.
Teach them carefully.
The time will come when people won’t put up with true teaching.
Instead, they will try to satisfy their own desires.
They will gather a large number of teachers around them.
The teachers will say what the people want to hear.
The people will turn their ears away from the truth.
They will turn to stories that aren’t true.
But I want you to keep your head no matter what happens.
Don’t give up when times are hard.
Work to spread the good news.
Do everything God has given you to do.”
2 Timothy 4:2-5 NIRV
https://bible.com/bible/110/2ti.4.2-5.NIRV
““Whoever listens to you listens to me.
Whoever does not accept you does not accept me.
But whoever does not accept me does not accept the one who sent me.””
Luke 10:16 NIRV
https://bible.com/bible/110/luk.10.16.NIRV
“For now [in this time of imperfection] we see in a mirror dimly [a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma], but then [when the time of perfection comes we will see reality] face to face.
Now I know in part [just in fragments], but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known [by God].”
1 Corinthians 13:12 AMP
https://bible.com/bible/1588/1co.13.12.AMP
“Amen!
Come, Lord Jesus!
May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people.
Amen.”
Revelation 22:21 NIRV
A Fitting Reply 
Thank you for such a beautiful reminder and thank you for having my boy. He really enjoyed his time with y’all! Love you! ❤️
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The pleasure was mine! I’m honored he asked to stay! Thomas loved showing him his birthday guitar 🎸 I love you all! Praying now as you enter the empty nest season 🙏🏻✝️🥰
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