Daily Devotional for February 13, 2022
The Extended Guest
“Dad, how much longer does Uncle Tom have to stay here?” asked Aaron.
“Well, one of Uncle Tom’s roommates is sick with COVID-19, and Uncle Tom is immunocompromised. That means his immune system isn’t as strong as yours or mine and it’s easier for him to get sick, so he needs a place to stay where he’s less likely to be exposed to the virus. So he’ll be staying with us until it’s safe for him to go back to his own house.”
“But he always hogs the bathroom in the morning, and his breath always smells like coffee.” Aaron scrunched up his nose. “And I don’t like having to share a room with Matthew. He keeps bothering me when I’m trying to do my homework. I want my own room back!”
Dad huffed a sigh. “I know it’s hard to make sacrifices while your uncle is here, Aaron, but we need to be patient with him. He needs a place to stay, and we need to show him hospitality.”
Aaron frowned. “I wish Uncle Tom showed me hospitality when I need to use the bathroom to get ready for school. I almost missed the bus yesterday!”
“We can talk to him about setting up a bathroom schedule so you don’t miss the bus,” said Dad. “But think about how Uncle Tom feels. He probably feels displaced after having to leave his home suddenly. It’s hard for people to adjust to living in new spaces sometimes—like it was hard for you to adjust to school online a couple years ago. But your teacher and your mom and I helped you through it.”
“Oh,” said Aaron. “I didn’t think about it like that.”
“Now we need to help Uncle Tom,” Dad said. “I know we’re all sick of this pandemic and wish it would be over, but we need to be patient with each other. Trust Jesus to help you do that. He’s always patient with us and was willing to make the biggest sacrifice of all so we could be welcomed into His family. He’ll help you show that same love to others.”
“Okay,” said Aaron. “I’ll trust Him to help me be more patient with Uncle Tom.”
Dad grinned. “And I’ll encourage him to brush his teeth after he has coffee.”
-Naomi Zylstra
How about you?
Have you ever had an unexpected guest stay your house? Or maybe your house already seems full with just you and your siblings. It can get overwhelming with everyone in the same space, but Jesus calls us to be patient with one another. Because He sacrificed His life for us, we can make sacrifices for others to show them patience and hospitality—whether they’re guests or our own family!
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