An Open Home

Well, we have spent the week preparing our home for Kenneth to come stay with us for the next year. We had a lot of cleaning up and clearing out to do in order to make the downstairs bedroom presentable. Jason especially has worked himself crazy. But the room is ready. Everything is clean and tidy and hopefully inviting.
Now for the important part..... Are we really ready????? Even if we put our teenaged parental ignorance aside, are we really going to be a good influence? That has been my ever present thought this week. Am I real enough???? I want more than anything to be genuine. To not play church, but to be the person I say I am. God has really shown me more hidden junk in my life over the past few years than I could have ever imagined existed. Old grudges (when I didn't really think I was the type to hold one), envy, white lies of convenience, mistrusts, anger about things that are totally none of my business, and that is just the tip of the iceberg. As I have tried to work through all of what God has shown me I have felt more and more that I can be transparent.
Suddenly, this week, my transparency has been tested once again.
There is no hiding anything when you live with someone. This child hasn't had much opportunity to see Christ. What if he doesn't find Him in my home? I'm slightly terrified.
But today I've decided.... No more fear.... I will mess up in front of him, more times than I care to think about - I'm sure. I'll be honest about my failures and shortcomings. I'll continue to strive to be genuine - in my home,at work, at school, and at church.
I pray that Kenneth will see Christ in me because of how Christ is working to make me more like Himself, not because of the few times I get it right (Although I hope he is around for those too).
So when he moves in next weekend we will jump in with both feet. We will be real. And we will continue to strive to be more like Christ. Seeing others live that kind of life out have given me inspiration that I can do the same. I pray that our family's pursuit of righteousness will inspire others but most importantly a sweet young man from Hong Kong, who will be with us for what will seem like a moment and whom God has given us such an important mission field in.
Pray for us. Hold us accountable. Be real too.