Inviting Others In

Inviting Others In

Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

“It’s very different here,” the woman said, shrugging. We were standing inside a mutual friend’s cozy kitchen, and glancing outside at the snow-swept landscape, cold and icy with temperatures hovering just above zero, I thought perhaps she meant the weather. Or—considering the delicious, spicy soup and crunchy appetizers she’d brought to share—perhaps the cuisine.

But it wasn’t those things at all.

I’d just met this dark-haired woman with the sparkling personality and penchant to laugh earlier in the evening. It was New Year’s Eve, and we were spending it with old friends and new acquaintances, neighbors of the host couple. But as the women meandered into the kitchen, leaving the men chatting at the dining room table, the lighthearted conversation turned serious.

“In India, it was so hot that in the evenings, everyone would throw open their windows and doors. It was noisy and there were lots of kids around,” the woman said. “Here, everyone is behind closed doors.”

I found myself nodding in agreement. When Tim and I moved into our first home, I could count on one hand the number of neighbors I knew. Young and childless, we led busy lives and didn’t spend much time thinking about our neighbors.

“It was very lonely, at first,” she continued. “Because of my visa, I couldn’t work or go to school. Then I met someone,” she said, pausing to shoot a significant look at our hostess, smiling. “And now it’s better.”

As we left that evening, Tim and I marveled over how much fun we’d had visiting and playing games while our children shot Nerf guns and raced around, hollering and playing. Scripture tells us to live a life filled with love, but if I’m honest, it’s too easy to shower that love on people who are already friends. Yet I’m struck by the idea that there are people in my town, perhaps in my own neighborhood, who feel as though they’re cloistered behind closed doors, waiting for an invitation.

— Kristin

— Today’s Act of Friendship —

Consider a neighbor or coworker you haven’t met or spent much time with who may be lonely. Reach out to them.