On hospitality and foxes

I am a perfectionist. Not about all things. My sock drawer looks like it belongs to a sloth or a careless 2 year old. But when it comes to blogging, I am learning my habits. I am an "all or nothing" blogger. My standards are very high, and if I don't think a blog will reach those standards, I don't even bother to write. I am also a self proclaimed toaster. My thoughts need time to "toast" in my mind. When those thoughts are ready..."DING"... out comes a post worthy of my clicking the "publish post" button on my computer screen. Today I heard the "DING"!

On the job front
It has been a roller coaster this last month and a half. During this time we saw Matt apply for a number of jobs, get excited about different career paths, score interviews, be declined further interviews, and start the process all over again with other job applications. All told, job hunting is not for the faint of heart (for the applicant or his spouse)! We were excited about some job prospects in Nashville with a company that has impressed Matt and myself, but we prayed, and God showed...they were not the job(s) for Matt. We visited Nashville and Chattanooga and had an awesome visit with good friends. Both cities are near and dear to our hearts, and we are considering taking a leap and moving to either of them if a job does not come down the pipeline soon. We figure it may be time to drive our stake in the ground somewhere, call it home, and then feverishly look for a job there. It is, after all, rather challenging to look for a job from a different town.

Currently we are awaiting a reply from Chick-fil-a on an application Matt submitted last week to be a store owner/operator. Many of you know that this has long been a dream of Matt to own a store. It is a great company and quite difficult to get a job owning one of their stores. I am very proud of Matt for knocking on the door of the company for months, leaving many messages, networking with people who "know people", and selling himself over the phone as someone worthy to be considered. So far, it has paid off. They requested an application (believe it or not, that is a huge deal). We would like to ask that those of you who believe in prayer to offer some up for us that God would again show us if this is the path we are to take. We are excited and hopeful about our future (with or without Chick-fil-a), and we pray God would open and shut doors in a timely fashion.

Calling
In a lot of ways Matt and I have felt a little lost these last few months. I describe it as being like a ship without a rudder. It is a daunting task to completely change career paths, move across country, and share a home with another family. God has been moving in huge ways in our hearts, rebuilding our individual and family calling. A few nights ago Matt and I found ourselves knee deep in a thrilling conversation about this feeling of lostness, and we realized we need to know our family calling. As we talked we narrowed down our passions and dreams and realized our family calling. We are called to hospitality! We each feel a yearning and vision for our lives to be lived out in hospitality. To speak about it gave us hope that no matter where we end up and what Matt ends up doing for a paycheck, our lives are about something bigger. Whether it is having people in our home for a meal, a bible study, a conversation on our front porch (those are my favorite), crying with a friend in my bedroom, sharing a drink over soul-stirring conversation, serving up fried chicken to hungry customers, or foster/adopting children into our family...we were made for opening up our home and lives to people.

As we talked about it we were each filled with promise and renewed resolve. We each contribute to this vision in different ways. One of Matt's recent discoveries is that his love language is unhurried quality time. That is what makes him feel most appreciated. In a culture that perpetually watches their clock, this can be a difficult gift to give someone. He is motivated to give unhurried time. He is also excellent at conversation and discussion, helping people to process their lives against the backdrop of Christ and his kingdom. I love to tag team with Matt when we host parties because I know he will be a great team player in creating a space where people will feel welcome to talk and share their lives.

Hospitality is near and dear to my heart. My love for all things home and kitchen definitely comes in handy when inviting people over. I get excited about large tables with plenty of room for people to squeeze in. I dream about fun ways to set a table. I pathologically watch the food network. A cookbook is a "good read" on a Saturday night. Given these loves you can imagine it has been extra challenging to not have my own home and space to decorate. But what this time has done for me has sharpened my desire to be hospitable. I can't wait to have my own home again...and decorate it...and fill it with people.

The Fox
I have always loved foxes. I am not sure why. It may have to do with something I heard as a kid about foxes being very sneaky and hard to find because of their keen sense of smell. They can smell a predator coming a long ways away and scurry off before falling prey. In our last few months in California, Matt came inside the house one day after being in the backyard. He came in and announced excitedly, "I just saw a fox climbing up the hill in the backyard." Naturally, I dropped everything and ran outside hoping to catch a glimpse. The fox was gone. I was so bummed. As I thought about the fox that day, I prayed that God would show me a fox to remind me of His promise and guidance over our lives. We had just announced to the church we were moving, and I was feeling afraid of the future and so sad to say goodbye. I knew at the time that God is good no matter if He chose to show me a fox or not. Still, I watched and waited. No fox. I have remembered that prayer for a fox, and I still look. I believe God is saving that fox for the right time. As we talked about hospitality and prayed for God to help us fulfill our calling, I was renewed in my hope of God's promises. And I believe He will send a fox...
I'll tell you WHEN I see it!