Courage to Open the Door

Motherhood can feel isolating and lonely. There are times when I'm so desperate for someone to say, "Me, too!" We need our people, our tribe.

After living in Denver for several years, I realize I hadn't found "my people" yet. I chatted at soccer games and at the park. I was in a MOPS group and Bible study, but somehow it wasn't enough. I craved friendships where I could authentically share my whole story: times of tears, struggles, giddiness or expressing joy about finding the cutest pair of clearance-priced shoes.

Then one day I saw this verse: For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. - Acts 28:30

I was doing all the things. But not THE thing. I wasn't opening my door.

While Paul rented a house in Rome for two years, he lived with an open-door policy, welcoming all who came to see him. He invited them in, served them and poured into them. I realized, that was what I must do.

I decided to stop waiting for ladies to invite me over and began to invite them instead. My home wasn't perfectly clean; it didn't look like a page from a magazine, but I decided my home was enough. It was less about how my home looked and more about the heart that pulsed within it. I became willing to dive past surface conversations, look another woman in the eye and share my real stuff. I asked God to place women in my path. I prayed when I invited women over; I prayed when they drove up the driveway; I prayed while I poured coffee and as we sat down at the table. I prayed for God to spur conversation that allowed us to get to know each other at a deeper level.

As an introvert, it was hard putting myself out there with the chance of someone not being interested. But I summoned the courage to be OK with feeling uncomfortable.

There's something about opening our home that creates community, it allows us to serve and pour into people as we're poured into. We learn from one another as we share life together. We learn more about ourselves and God when we share messy pieces of our story.

We all have doors...will you be brave enough to open yours?