Holy Hosting

It's a December night. We're out driving and looking at Christmas lights, but it's not the lights I'm looking at.

I'm looking through the windows.

I know that sounds creepy, but don't pretend like you don't do the same thing.

It's become a sort of game to see which house is most welcoming. The grading rubric is very loosey goosey and consists of a few scales, but it's mostly based on a "feeling." How welcoming does a house feel?

For example: smoke rising from the chimney is like 50 points. To me, this not only communicates warmth, but it's a sign of life being lived inside those four walls. Indoor LED "daylight" bulbs will cost you at least 20 points, while soft white lighting and lamps will definitely give you an edge. But mostly, the defining grade comes down to: "How much do I want to go into that house and sit down in the living room?"

I've noticed that the size/grandeur/"niceness" of the exterior doesn't necessarily affect the grade. In fact, most of the winners have been small or modest houses. One house stood out in particular. It was a ranch style house- not huge but well kept and it was obvious that the owners took care of their home. All of the windows were wide open, and in the brief five seconds that we drove by, I could tell there was someone sitting down watching TV and another one in the kitchen. There wasn't anything particularly impressive or different about this, but the scene just had the feeling of warmth. Even my husband remarked on the cozy scene.

There is something I've been thinking about for a while now. Does the Lord look at my heart the same way I look at these welcoming homes? If I am a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit, how welcoming is my heart? Does He enjoy being there? Do I talk with him, or do forget He's there, too occupied with other things? Is my heart like one of these houses, where the curtains are open, fire is going, and the best seat in the house is prepared just for Him?

We are in the process of moving, and as I'm considering ways to make our new house a warm and sacred place, I'm trying to put as much thought and energy into making my heart more hospitable to the Lord. How can I make both my heart and home a place where He is hallowed and honored?

I'm going to explore this more in the next few posts. In the meantime, please take this is a warning to close your curtains if you don't want people judging the warmth of your home. Also, everyone please switch to soft white lightbulbs.