My husband and I have been married for almost 34 years and we’ve always had an open door policy. In February, 2012, we opened our door to a good friend who needed a place to stay. At that time, I thought there was a good possibility that she might be with us for a year or more. She moved into her own place eleven months later.
The following month, our pastor mentioned a homeless woman who needed a place to stay for two or three weeks until she could get back into the homeless shelter. We have a four-bedroom, two story house that we bought almost 22 years ago when we first moved to Cincinnati. Each of our three children had their own bedrooms. But now we are empty-nesters. One bedroom had been converted into our computer room, and the other two were unoccupied.
The ironic part of the whole thing is that Mary, the woman in need of temporary lodging, only called one church – ours. Floyd wasn’t keen on opening our door to a stranger any more than Mary cherished the idea of moving in with strangers. I thought we should extend the love of Christ to someone in need, so Floyd reluctantly agreed, and we extended the invitation to Mary. It didn’t take us long to decide that we didn’t want to see her go back to the homeless shelter.
Mary has a monthly social security income, and she already had her sites set on an affordable apartment down in Kentucky. But Mary needed more than a place to stay. She didn’t drive, so she also needed a chauffeur. She wasn’t healthy, so we made frequent trips to the doctor or pharmacy to pick up medicine.
Mary had lived in both Hamilton, Ohio and Park Hills, Kentucky. So whenever I took her to the doctor, I had a half-hour drive to Hamilton or a 45-minute drive down to her dentist in the Covington area. That could easily consume my day, and I hated it, because on the average, I had to run her to the doctor two or three times a month. Then the Lord said to me, “Marj, isn’t it wonderful that you’re healthy?” In addition to her many medical problems, Mary is a cancer survivor. Don’t we tend to take for granted our health? I said, “Sorry, Lord. I’ve been blessed with incredible health, and Mary can’t help it that she’s battling these health issues.” So while we’re giving Mary a place to stay and meeting her needs, the Lord is teaching me how to love her like He loves her; to have understanding and to be patient.
It’s been a hard lesson for me to learn, but it’s a necessary one if I’m to be more like Christ. A week ago, Floyd and I took our daughter, Michelle, out to lunch. Michelle said something funny, but very childlike. I thought, Now when Mary says things like that, it annoys me. How come? There’s only one answer. I expect those things out of Michelle; she has Williams syndrome. But I expect Mary to act and think like an adult, and she doesn’t. As a result, I expect more from her than she’s able to give.
Allowing Mary to stay with us has been a blessing for her and an education for us as God has been teaching Floyd and me the true meaning of love and compassion. God always has a plan and a purpose for everything He brings into our lives.