David and I have also been the recipients of such healing hospitality. On our sometimes rather fixed income we have greatly appreciated the beautiful homes Christian brothers wealthier than ourselves have openly shared.
We’ve dug clams for chowder off tiny Oak Island in Long Island Sound. We’ve watched the clouds break over the mountains from a retreat in Colorado. We’ve roamed Salem, Massachusetts on Halloween with our children. We’ve floated on a yacht in the clear Caribbean with Jamaica bejeweled on the horizon.
We’ve viewed the World Champion Sled-Dog Races in 15-degree-below-zero weather in Alaska. We’ve picked Florida grapefruit from our host’s trees in the backyard. We’ve participated in these many wonderful experiences, all because of other Christians’ hospitality toward us. How often our spirits have been turned again toward ministry by the release of these experiences.
Once after a weekend escape to a friend’s house overlooking Lake Michigan I sighed, “Oh, I wish we had a place like that.”
“We do,” David reminded me without glancing from his paperwork. “You have been told you can come whenever you like. And, we don’t have the worry about monthly payments or upkeep.”
Really, it has often been this way. People make me feel that I am welcome to share in as much of their lives as I am able to enjoy. And, then take some away in my heart to store for memory replays.
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For decades, Karen Mains and her husband, David, have served God through religious communications—radio, television, and print publication. The are the co-authors of the Kingdom Tales Trilogy: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. To find many valuable resources for pastors and churches at the Mainstay Ministries main website, please click here.
Karen has long had an interest in Christian hospitality and is the author of the best-selling book, Open Heart, Open Home.
An award-winning author of several other books, Karen continues to write content for her Christian blog, “Thoughts-by-Karen-Mains.” In so doing, she desires to touch the lives of Christian women and men and help them find ways to walk closer with the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, through silent retreats, spiritual teaching, women’s retreats, Christian vacation opportunities, and other ministry activities, Karen helps each Christian woman and man receive vital spiritual food.
Through her Hungry Souls ministry, Karen serves as a spiritual coach to many Christian women and men, and teaches a mentor-writing class. And, through the Global Bag Project, she is working to develop a network of African women who sew exquisite cloth reusable shopping bags. This micro-finance women opportunity helps provide a much-needed sustainable income for struggling African families. For more information on this critically important project, please click here.
In addition, pastors will find special resources to help them create effective, life-transforming Sunday sermons by visiting David Mains’ website by clicking here.
