“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in…” Matthew 25:35
This week, though our theme is “More than Welcome” and we have been looking at the idea of how we can welcome others, we have been the ones to be welcomed. Families and individuals have opened up their lives and their homes to us, complete strangers. They have opened up their hearts and they have trusted that we will be able to help improve their home and meet their needs.
Instead of simply using “more than welcome” as an expression, what if we took that short phrase and turned it into an action, applied it to our call, and made that statement our mission? The act of welcoming, or of making someone feel welcomed, like they belong, is an act of love and of generosity. It is giving of yourself or of your time to someone else. It can be opening up and becoming vulnerable to make another feel like they can connect.
We should welcome others out of a genuine desire to connect, to love, and to ultimately share Christ’s love, just as He would have done.
Take some time to reflect over what it means and what it looks like to welcome the stranger.
- What are some ways or times in which you have felt welcomed? Or, have you experienced times when did not feel very welcomed?
- What are some ways that you can welcome others this week, to make them feel like they belong? How about the others on your crew? Those from your church? Others who you have met this week at camp?
- Has this week and your experiences here helped to change the way that you see the idea of welcoming another?
Spend some time in prayer. Ask God to show you who the strangers are in your life: those at school, at church, at work. What can you do to “welcome” these strangers?