A friend of mine shared a story with me and that changed my entire outlook toward this subject matter.
“How about a little party—just a few people?” my husband, Tim, cajoled me one day.
Sighing, I turned to him. “Fine,” I said begrudgingly as he cheered. Even as I agreed, I was already dreading it, envisioning the hours I would spend cleaning and cooking and corralling kids.
That pattern continued for the first several years of our marriage. While I genuinely enjoyed spending time with friends at our home, my introverted nature couldn’t help but feel stressed in the weeks before each event.
And then, at a dinner party, we had a conversation that changed my life. Sitting in my friends’ well-lit kitchen, sunshine streaming in the windows, we talked candidly about how often they hosted church events at their home. They seemed to have a revolving door of small groups and meetings.
One of my friends spoke up, and his words struck a chord deep inside. “It changed for me when I started thinking of our home as a resource,” he said. “Rather than viewing it as something I needed to protect, it became something I could use.”
The idea spiraled for me, as I underwent a radical shift—from thinking of my home, finances, and time as possessions to thinking of them as resources.
After listening to this story, I began to think differently.
If my home is a resource, I can use it to invite others in. If my finances are a resource, I can share them with those in need. If my time is a resource, I can use it wisely to fulfill destiny.
My friend’s timely words to me were the perfect reminder that sharing our lives and homes with friends shouldn’t feel like a drain on our resources; it should be a cause for celebration.
Today’s act of friendship:
List the resources you have that you can use to foster friendships with others, then utilize one of them.
P.S Going forward, I will now be sharing with you every weekend my activities for the week beginning from today.
You will receive it every Sunday morning. The first comes in tomorrow.
Do share with your friends and family so they can join as well