Sit Long, Talk Much . . .

Note: Thanks so much to all of you for your comments/feedback on my last post, "What's a Preacher's Job?". It was wonderful, and what I have desired from the start with this blog, to have the sharing of prayerful thoughts. If you haven't read the comments on it, I encourage you to. You can still add your own, as well.

So, Abigail (age 4, shown in the picture) comes in to our room two nights ago and tells Mary Ann that she had a dream that it was the Sunday of the resurrection and the Roman guards left the tomb to get a soda and they came to our house for it. While they were here, she said, Jesus rose from the dead.

So, in our two daughters’ dreams (click here to read about Bethany’s), Jesus and the disciples have come to our house for coffee (which I got to make!), and now the Roman guards have come here for a soda break. Are we just the social fellowship spot, or what!

It has, actually, been our hope and prayer that our home would always be a place of rest and refreshment and revival for anyone visiting. While it is never as picked up as we like, we have made the (often difficult) decision to put people over pride and keep its door open. We have been blessed by the number of people who have said that they find peace here and feel God’s Spirit. We couldn’t ask for a higher compliment for our place.

We have a sign from my folks in our screen porch which says, “Sit long. Talk much.” For me, as long as I can remember, my parents have ended the work day with a cup of coffee together and it has become, in my heart and association, and important time of sharing and connecting. Mary Ann and I try to have a cup of coffee together each day and just connect, and we truly treasure sitting in our screen porch in the summer (or by our wood stove in the winter) and just fellowshipping and talking with each other and/or others.

God made us all to need each other, and I believe that it is important in this busy day and age to make time to sit and fellowship with other believers, as well as to be a person that the unsaved know as someone who will listen to them and care. Time is such a precious commodity today that one of the greatest ways we can show love is with the gift of our time, and taking time to listen and get together says “I care” in a powerful way.

So, sit long and talk much. It may require some tradeoffs, but I believe that they are well worth it. Mary Ann and I are far from perfect in showing others love and in wisely using our time—and we often have trouble discerning what is God’s will for our time or our own desires—but, with all that said, we have found that the investment of time is one well worth making.

Heb 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Ac 2:42-47 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.