prayers and pilgrims ...

Last week my friend Kirk posted this comment on his blog:

Pilgrimage is one of the greatest gifts we can give our kids. Besides our absolute devotion to they're becoming truly human and fully alive in Christ, we want our kids to grow up amidst the nations... here, there and everywhere in Jesus' name. And what Dar and I are noticing is that we don't have to be in the nations for the nations to find us. It's like breathing. Our home is a place of peace... a place connected with the contemplation of heaven on earth... a portal of sorts... and they find us, those who are with him end up with us - the one's that he directs our way...

It reminded me that the comings and the goings of God and his people are so fluid. Like Luke, the writer of the book of Acts says, "For in him we live and move and have our being".

When Charlene and I were dreaming about the kind of home we would like to have, the standard stuff was all in there, but there were some "bonus features" too. One was that the home we would eventually land in would have a spare room that could be used as both a permanent prayer room in the house, and serve as a guest room for visitors and pilgrims from around the world that would stop in and rest with us for a while.

The home that we are now hoping to see as our own (if all works out it will close on April 30th) has just that space in it. In fact, the window of this future prayer / pilgrim room actually looks out over a park across the street where literally dozens of high school students gather in the morning, at lunch time, and after classes to hangout, visit, smoke, laugh, and relax.

This home is positioned looking over the one of the key gathering places of the youth culture of our new city. So sweet!

In the three days since we've announced that our offer for the home has been accepted, we've had a half-dozen people already confirm with us that they will be coming to stay in our home before the end of the summer! So cool! Charlene and I love what is unfolding!

"Lord, would you teach us about hospitality in this next season of life? Would you cause us to grow in our desire to pray for friends from near and far who come into the home you are giving us? Would a gravity be established in this home that attracts those wide-eyed pilgrims on the hunt for the deeper things of God. Most of all, Lord Jesus, would this home be a place where your Spirit dwells not only in the lives of the occupants, but on the very ground itself."

Amen!

(the new diggs)