Room at Our Inn

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in.”

~Matthew 25:35 NKJV

Once, during the Christmas season, we had a blizzard.

My family hunkered down in our chairs in the living room with our electronics. I had settled in with a book to catch up on some reading. Even though we were inside, the heavy blanket of snow outside insulated the interior of the house, giving us a warm, peaceful atmosphere.

Someone at the Door?

Midway through the afternoon, as our eyes drooped with that after-lunch slump, our doorbell rang. Who could it be on this snowy afternoon? I opened the door, and to my surprise, I found an older lady who once attended our church. Then, I saw a car stuck in a snowbank at the side of our driveway. I assumed it belonged to her.

The lady apologized for her unexpected visit and said she had driven over to ask a favor. I offered to find someone who could assist her in getting the car out of the snowbank. We called several people but had no success. Finally, I called AAA, only to find out that their emergency roadside calls had them backed up for hours. They considered her safe because she was at a house and put her on the bottom of their to-do list.

Safety Issue

Our visitor then told me why she had come over. She needed a temporary place to stay because she felt unsafe at her house.  I offered the sofa for her to sleep on for a few days. I wanted to make sure there was room at our inn, unlike it was for Mary and Joseph.

The next day, AAA pulled the lady’s car out of the snowbank and put it in our driveway. However, she still didn’t consider the roads safe enough to drive on.

Mary and Joseph

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 

~Luke 2:7 NKJV

When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem, they were in a similar situation. I felt the Lord had arranged my situation so I could help this lady as someone helped Mary and Joseph.

God loved this woman just as He loved me and just as He loved Mary and Joseph. The lady might have had to live in her car if my family hadn’t opened our home to her. She seemed happy on the sofa and wanted to help with meals. So we agreed she could stay for a few weeks until she found another place to live.

Blizzard Opportunity

This situation–a blizzard opportunity–both tested and grew me. But I knew that by giving our visitor a place to spend the night, my family also ministered to Jesus.

In what ways has the Lord presented you with opportunities to minister to Him by serving others?

Heavenly Father, give me eyes of love to see the people You set before me as You see them. Help me to demonstrate through my actions Your love for them. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2024: Room at the Inn: Elizabeth Zacharias: All Rights Reserved