Why am I BLOGGING?

I don't really know why I feel the need to sit down and post right now. It's really the last thing I should be doing. Basically, it's what I am doing to avoid what I need to be doing. I'm on my way out the door to buy food for the gigantic house party we are somehow hosting in a few hours. Only Mark's brother, Chris, could find a way to invite eleven band friends to our house for the weekend, with only a few days notice. They had two shows in Louisiana and Oklahoma cancel for this weekend, so they are driving here from Kansas instead. (Holly and Tiffany, I almost sent them to your house for a live show in your backyard!)

Although my first reaction was a resistant one (to say the least), I'm really getting more relaxed about it at this point, somehow. Okay, so I know how. It's because I'm making myself relax!!

I was a little more tense a few days ago, when I first pictured these guys and girls hanging out in my house for the weekend---nothing personal to them, but just the thought of that many people taking over our "space" was a little overwhelming. (I'm one of "those kind" who like their "space" alot.) Where will they sleep? What will they eat? How will they all shower? Where will they sit? What will they do? How are we going to manage their "band dude" schedule with our two sleeping children? And, where will they park their bus? (They have a school bus that they inherited for free that has black skulls on the side and runs on vegetable oil....don't ask me.)

But, my calm-natured-go-with-the-flow-nothing-really-stresses-him-out husband reminded me that there is no reason that we can't manage to show these friends of our family some hospitality and an "open door" to our home, without it having to be "perfect" here. (That happens to be my downfall to a fault when hosting any event in my house...) So, like I said, I have forced myself to relax. And, then, five minutes later, I have had to make myself relax again. I find myself going from "Oh, it doesn't matter if they have a pillow" to "I should go buy new sheets so they don't have to sleep on Dora or Sleeping Beauty". And, from "We'll just have ice cream sundaes for dessert" to "I should probably make three different kinds of pie, in case someone doesn't like ice cream."

But, now it's a few hours from arrival time. And, they may not have a pillow, and they will have to like Sleeping Beauty, and hopefully they will love ice cream sundaes for dessert. These guys (and girls) will just be thankful for a floor to sleep on, and a house to land at for a few days, that reminds them of home, when their whole year has been spent traveling around America on a vegetable bus. So, their standards are probably not too high to meet. :)

I truly think that God gives the gift of hospitality to some people and it is a natural part of who they are. They don't stress over the little things and see the bigger picture easily. And, then are those of us who have to force ourselves out of our comfortable-just-being-at-home-with-our-own-space kind of box, consciously say no to the pressure we put on ourselves when entertaining, and just do what Jesus says to do. Love others and welcome them, give them food when they are hungry, and encourage those who are weary. So, the weekend will be good, I just know it.

Meanwhile, I continue to avoid the grocery store run, as I prepare for "breakfast for a bunch" and "lunch for even more than a bunch". But, it's time to get going....

So, if you see me tomorrow at the class picnic, on Sunday at church, or Monday at school, just ignore me if I look a little listless. It's just from the 8 beds I've put sheets on, the fourteen mouths that I've fed, and the time I've spent in interesting conversation with people I otherwise would have never had the chance to know. It will be a good weekend!