We have two high school international students living with us this school year. We had one last year. He wanted to return and we were asked if we would host him again. And then we were later asked if we would host a 2nd student.
Sure. Why not? :)
(Yes, I'm well aware that we are borderline C-R-A-Z-Y at times)
Some days, I have to bite my tongue and remind myself why we agreed to do this.
There's more laundry. More food to buy/make. A LOT more driving people around. A very maxed out mini-van (If we all go somewhere, I'm often all the way in the back in between 2 of our boys). A sense of privacy lost. A room that smells like teenage boys. Accommodations needing to be made. Needing to be mindful of what I'm wearing around the house. Other people having a look at how you live. Two very different personalities sharing a room. And why won't they use the top sheet on their beds?!!?! :)
Basically, a lot of surface inconveniences.
But when I am reminded that we have the chance to have these boys into our homes. A chance to learn about them and their cultures. A chance to share our lives with them. A chance to bring them to church with us. A chance to share our faith in Jesus with them. A chance to extend love to them.
Ok. Ok. It's all completely worth it.
In Sunday morning's worship service, we sang "It is Well With My Soul".......and I looked over and saw Kenny singing. Really singing.
First off, the song usually makes me emotional anyways. But to think about this young man whose life is forever changed by what God did through his life while he was living with us. A young man who has had some big and heavy stuff happen in his life up to this point. And a young man whose future is unknown by him and us, but known fully by a God he has come to follow. I find my heart thinking maternal thoughts towards him and wanting him to be able to sing this song through all of life's ups and downs that he will encounter.
It's all been worth it. Completely worth it.
Plus, I rarely have to change the cat litter these days. And they help with dishes sometimes.
And they shovel snow. :)
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| 24 sandwiches. Just for our household. |
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| Products like this line a shelf in our house now. |
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| A South Korean thanksgiving meal (pic from November). |
Thankful that we were willing to have them join our family.
Sometimes our willingness to extend ourselves is all that God needs.
