Personal Inconvenience

"Let brotherly love continue.  Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."  

Hebrews 13:1-2 (ESV)

Yesterday, I was blessed with safe travels from Storm Lake to Sac City Iowa.

During my 28-mile run, I wrestled with a lot of thoughts.

I called one of my mentors:

I shared about how my originally scheduled host home had fallen through 3 days before I was to head to Sac City Iowa.

I shared about how I scrambled for a host home and finally found one the evening before I left.

I shared about how frustrating it was to try and line up a week-long host home.  I thought it would be easy, an opportunity for people to open their home to me, a stranger.  I thought it would be easy for the Christian community to welcome me in.  I profess Jesus' name, and I thought others who profess Jesus' name would be all over the idea of hosting me.  That wasn't the case.

We talked about the idea of "Personal Inconvenience."  How people will give money & say prayers, rather than welcoming a "stranger" in.

One of many potential host homes I contacted asked, "Why isn't the church helping you find a host home?"  

I wanted to respond "You are the church and you have a home where I could stay."

I was even more flustered when they suggested "You could stay in the hotel."

Is this what Christians do?  When inconvenienced by a stranger, to say "I'll pray for you and send them to a hotel?

Or

Are we called to open our homes & our lives to strangers?

I believe this is one of the reasons why many people who grow up in the church, turn from their roots, 'cause the Jesus they hear about in scripture, is not the Jesus acted out in their faith community.

I realize opening up a home to a stranger is inconvenient.
I realize opening up a home to a stranger for a week is inconvenient.
I realize opening up a home to a stranger for a week with 3 days notice is inconvenient.

But what if we believed that personal inconvenience is good for us?

Maybe it's like a tension, or a pruning.

When it happens, the results often allow us to grow deeper in our faith.

For people who proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, lets start reclaiming Personal Inconveniences.  To see them as opportunities for the unknown.  To see them as opportunities for growth.  To see them as opportunities for God's hand to work in our life.

These are the thoughts I wrestled with while running on Monday.


What are your thoughts about the topic?