In the same way that Jesus is a safe place, our homes need to be a safe place too. When talking about turning your life over to Jesus, you’ve heard people say, “come as you are.” Well, our home needs to be a place where family members and beyond can “come as they are.” A safe home makes room for mistakes, is full of forgiveness and grace, and encourages and loves one another.
Sometimes that safe place needs to be between a husband and wife. Early on in our marriage, we did not have a lot of money, and we relied greatly on the tips I earned as a waitress. I had just come off a busy weekend of working several doubles and making a substantial amount of cash. While shopping one day, I accidentally left my wallet on a bench outside a shopping strip where my money was stolen. I was devastated because I knew the impact this would have on our already tight finances. I will never forget that day. In fact, I think about it often because it was the day I really experienced grace. Instead of my husband responding in anger and frustration, he was kind and gentle with my mistake. He even took me to buy something fun and unnecessary to show me that I was way more important than money.
The kindness and love shown to me that day created a safe place for me to be imperfect. Let’s strive to show that kind of love and grace within our own homes so that those around us are able to come as they are..