Serving on the Fly

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

I Peter 4:9

I don't know if some impromptu babysitting counts as hospitality, but I am glad for the random opportunities God gives us to serve and bless others. And I love that this CRAZY life we've lived for years now (I count the years since CA was born and the insomnia years started - the insomnia's over, but there's never really been a settling since then, no solid routine or predictability) have taught us a beautiful skill: flexibility. 

Last night, our family of believers here in Texas gave us a beautiful outdoor party celebrating AH's adoption. The love and happiness, the summer sun, the prayers answered and souls gathered...it'll take me some time to fully feel the blessedness of that night and of our situation.

We left the park after 9pm, with exhausted, dirty, happy children, and plans for a spontaneous slumber party: all the girls had gone back and forth between me and Mrs. M late in the evening, begging us to let her E (same name as my E) come spend the night. My four oldest and E all slept in one bedroom and BB and I made it to sleep by midnight.

Baby awoke at 1am - teething is not her friend. Baby and I spent an hour or so hanging out, rocking, having a bottle.

Up around 6am with BB, when we each started our day in the Word and prayer. It was nice and quiet, since the girls slept later than usual, due to playing hard at the party and staying up too late.

BB ran and got us breakfast tacos. Fifteen of them. Then he was off to help our neighbors move today. I stool looking out the window at them all out front, thinking, What can I do to help? Then I saw our neighbors' two youngest children playing out front. Text message to BB, then two little girls on my doorstep, for as long as they need to be here. AH is in heaven - oh, how she loves babies and little ones, in this case, a 20 month old cutie that she gets to mother for the day.

Another text message from BB: W's kids are coming over too. Bring it on! Knock on the door, another boy and girl join the fray. That's 11. That's when I had to take the photo.

Before too long, E had to go home, and some of the neighbors' kids have been in and out, and then yet another down-the-street little girl has come to play.

Oh, and once while BB had come back over for some reason, the man next door came and rang the bell. There he stood with a gift bag in hand, a little something from him and his wife for the girls, all because AH recently wrote a kind thank you and made a lovely craft to express gratitude to them for throwing the girls' balls back over the fence to them. Love the connections made. 

And it's only 11am.

Oh, Lord that You would multiply these connections, bless them and be glorified. May we shine for You, speaking Your gospel, living Your love to everyone. We pray that others would learn of You as, by Your grace, we live for You....

What spontaneous opportunities might God have for you today? There is much joy in saying yes to Him.