Lately, I have been feeling that our home isn't up to par. Meaning that we have not put as much time as I would like to fix it up. I go to other people's houses and am envious of the perfect paint choices, the decluttered and nicely decorated rooms, and the manicured lawns. Despite my husband constantly reminding me that not many people lead the life that we do and keep the busy schedule that we do, I still feel that we have fallen short of our homeowners' duty. But last night I was reminded why we bought a house in the first place. Our primary reason for purchasing our first home last summer was so that it could be a place of fellowship. We wanted to follow the example of Jesus being relational in opening up our home in order to establish closer relationships with the youth we work with and the friends we have made in Savannah and even people from out of town who are just passing through. So, last night was the Night for Africa benefit concert at the church and it just so happened that one of the bands' hotel rooms got canceled and they had been sleeping in their van, which would have been especially bad last night when the temperature dropped to an uncharacteristic 29 degrees. Being the kind man that he is, Josh invited all six of them to sleep at our house. At first, I was hesitant because there was laundry on the couch, dishes in the sink, and the floor hadn't been swept in a few days. Then I realized that this was an opportunity to use our house for the reason we bought it--for relational ministry. So, I rushed home and threw all the laundry in our bedroom, cleaned the guest bathroom, did the dishes, and swept the floor in a record 30 minutes. I don't say this to praise my ability to speed clean but to recognize that God presented us with the opportunity to serve this band- Fairgreen and we seized the opportunity. It made me realize that it didn't matter that the kitchen is in the process of shedding its wallpaper or that many of the walls need repainting. It allowed me to put my priorities back in order and recognize that God doesn't ask us to be perfect, to look perfect, or to have a perfect house. He asks us to be available when he presents us with the opportunity to serve Him and His children. I still want my house to look like it belongs in a Southern Living magazine, but I will let that want take a backseat for now.