Open House, Open Hearts

Like every mother, I try to teach my children to be kind, loving, empathetic. And they continually exceed my highest expectations. I am amazed at their ability to understand, comfort, and uplift others. Hillary recently gave up an entire Friday night to go with me to minister to the young girls at Boys and Girls Town. She smiled, chatted, and sat hunched over for more than an hour, painting designs on bitten fingernails...bringing a bit of beauty into scarred and broken hearts with her art and sunshine personality.
And when my sister came to our house, needing a soft place to land for a few days, Parker immediately offered his own room, saying that his room was the darkest and she might need the extra help to sleep. He helped me clean and arrange everything to provide the most comfort possible.
This weekend, we had more visitors. Our house held a few extra girls and a couple of dogs. Far from complaining about "their" stuff or space, my kids shared their home and hearts (and parental attention). They petted the dogs and played with the sweet four-year-old girl who made us laugh with her antics. As often happens, our guests commented on how peaceful our home felt. I don't think that's an accident. It's because of our family's conscious effort to be used of God to minister to everyone who comes through our door. My husband and I have tried to teach our children that everything we have is a gift and we are priviledged to share our blessings. So to see them living out our lessons with open hearts makes my heart sing.