Wednesday, June 15, 2016

On a Mission...

I just have some thoughts to share today… hopefully it will speak to your heart too!

We were so blessed to have last-minute overnight guests from the Netherlands… a mother & daughter from Holland. Funny because another room was occupied by a couple from Holland, Michigan! I am amused & amazed many times by how God orchestrates these visitors to our home! You might call it coincidence, but I call it God wink moments! It has happened many times in the last 2 years with the B&B!

At breakfast there was great conversation between the Michiganders & the Nederlanders… the ladies from the Netherlands shared that they speak 6 different languages! That just blows my mind! I speak a little French & a tiny Spanish, & I am still working on English!

Part of my quiet time every day usually includes “Our Daily Bread”… today it just fit so well with my life! The title of today’s was “True Communication”… most of it was about the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. But here is one statement that spoke to my heart, “We may not speak or understand many languages, but we know that the Holy Spirit equips us to connect with people in other ways. Amazingly, we are God’s hands and feet – and mouth – to further His mission. Today, how might we – with the Spirit’s help – reach out to someone unlike us?”

Every time we are blessed to welcome “strangers” into our home… I am in awe of the opportunity the Lord has given us! Why did He put this gift of hospitality in both Luke & myself? Why did He see fit to give us this home to fulfill this mission? Why does it not bother me to clean toilets & do laundry? When God impressed on us the name for the B&B, Shining Light Inn Bed & Breakfast… we knew it was not about a job, but a vocation!

In the past I had a friend that would always ask me, “What is your passion?” I never really knew how to answer that. Doing what I love to do… using the gifts God has given me… that was just who I was, not what I necessarily saw as my “passion”. This morning two of our guests mentioned the word passion… they said how every detail shows how passionate we are about what we do with the B&B. Also, that doing the little extra things for presentation & flavor of the breakfast was done with passion. It hit me this morning that this is my passion… loving on people… making people feel extra special… just listening to their story… making the environment warm & welcoming! Passion… passion… passion! Honestly, I never saw it… what I do & how I do it is just who I am… true passion doesn’t have to be hard! Duh! I’m a little slow sometimes! Ha! It might entail hard work, but it will still come naturally!

"Love sincerely. Hate evil. Hold on to what is good. Be devoted to each other like a loving family. Excel in showing respect for each other. Don’t be lazy in showing devotion. Use you energy to serve the Lord. Be happy in your confidence, be patient in trouble, and pray continually. Share what you have with God’s people who are in need. Be hospitable.” ~ Romans 12:9-13

I am thankful that Father God has given us a chance to connect with people from all over the world! He has equipped us to be His hands & feet while operating the Inn. He also has equipped you to touch lives wherever you are at today or whatever you are doing! We just need to be aware… don’t get so caught up in the job that we miss the mission! That is a great reminder for me as well!

Our prayer for the B&B is, “Lord, bring us exactly who You want to come through our door.” Hey & if you are prompted to come for a visit… our door is always open!

Rejoicing in Truth!
Carin