I'm the type of person who always takes my shoes off when entering someone else's home. I'm respectful. I shut the door behind me and only accept a glass of water when they offer drinks. I'll pet their dog but not get him all riled up. I overuse the words 'thank you.' Excessively. I'm all about a good firm handshake of gratitude on the way in. The ones where you maintain eye contact and swoop in with your left hand to cup the other ones gently. Give em a couple of good shakes up and down to show you really mean it. I admire trendy interior decorations and throw out compliments when appropriate. I'm all about a quality, full on body-hug on the way out. The ones where you throw both arms around their neck and let the hug linger for just the right amount of time. If they need help preparing a dish or setting the table, I joyfully lend a hand. Let's be real. I practice proper house guest etiquette people. I take the gift of a warm welcoming home and cherish it. Appreciate it. Embrace it.
Life is a gift. It's an invitation from the Creator of the universe to come into His home and cherish it. Appreciate it. Embrace it. Let me tell you what we did with this gift today:
Headed to a Masai village out in the bush of Tanzania, where we found a church that was 3/4ths of the way constructed.
Sprinkled into the congregation and blended in like salt and pepper, gave an impromptu sermon and encouraging word to a beautiful family of believers.
Bravely debuted a fast-version duet of 'My Redeemer Lives' and brought down the house!
Loved on strangers.
Walked hand in hand through this desolate tribal village and realized we were unavoidably spending our entire Saturday in the sun/Son.
Encountered beautiful faces and brought smiles to the surface.
Greeted and treated an old paralyzed Masai granny like she was our very own.
Crouched down on our knees to share the gospel.
Prayed for the sick.
'Balanced' buckets of cold water on our heads with the local children, swishing and swoshing and trying not to spill the entire time.
Preached to a man who wished to repent but refused to do so unless his wife would join him and do the same. Watched as they stood shoulder to shoulder and accepted the Lord as their personal Savior, together.
Captured the moment as Jillian held baby Jillian in her arms, goo-goo-gah-gah-ing the entire time. (We don't call her 'the baby whisperer' for nothin) 🙂
Acted a fool juggling freshly picked mangos for a group of children.
Made real connections.
We've chosen to cherish this gift of life. We've chosen to live a story worth telling. We want to live lives that pop. Lives that make us knee-slap and keel over laughing out loud. Lives that make us cry tears of joy and swell up with wonder.
Praise be to the God of the universe! The one who blessed us with this beautiful invitation, this beautiful earth we call home, full of life for us to enjoy.
May we practice proper 'house guest etiquette' with Him on this earth day in and day out. May we cherish this gift and every little thing it has to offer. Weather in the Eastern hemisphere on the dusty dirt floor of an African church or the Western hemisphere on the hot, bustling asphalt of America. May we enjoy the little things like eating cold watermelon and singing out loud at the top of our lungs. May we celebrate the big things like engagements and graduations and the rare things like grand slams and four-leafed clovers. May we greet our neighbors with the same love and enthusiasm we display as we welcome a newborn baby into the world. May we take a picture for a tourist, hold the door for a stranger, pay for the dude who's in line behind us at Starbucks' coffee. May we try our darndest to etch laugh-lines into the cheeks of our grandparents. And may we live life so fully that we make God laugh til He's red in the face, thrilled to the core that He welcomed people into His home who absolutely cherish, appreciate, and embrace the gift.
I pray that we anxiously await the day when we get to thank Him for this gift face to face. The day that we get to receive the honor of lingering in that full on, quality body hug and extend a firm handshake of gratitude. I pray that we eagerly anticipate this great day with overflowing joyful hearts. As the world that we live in continues to spin, we can rest assured knowing that with each glorious sunrise and each magical sunset, as we watch beauty unfold around us and starry skies light up, we know that every passing second of this gift of life brings us a moment closer to Him, the Creator of the universe, our Gracious Host.
But until then…cheers Papa!
