Last night, I plopped myself down on the couch after a long weekend to watch a movie with my daughters. Right at that moment, two boys from the neighborhood stopped over to visit us. I invited them in, they ate dinner with us, we chatted for a while, and then I gave them "the boot" so that I could continue to connect with my daughters for the rest of the evening. The boys wanted to stay and watch the movie, but I made sure to protect the quality time with my daughters on this particular occasion.
This scenario is one of the most challenging parts about urban, incarnational ministry. The people we are trying to reach as a family all live within walking distance of us. The kids can stop past any time they want, and we always welcome them even if it is just to say hello and grab a quick snack. Sometimes kids are in our house for hours at a time, and sometimes they're here for a minute or so. It all depends on where we are at as a family on that particular day. Sometimes we need space, and sometimes we have margin to invite people into whatever we are doing in our lives.
Jesus modeled for all Christians how to engage with people and also how to have boundaries. We cannot be all things to all people at all times. Nobody has that kind of capacity. But we can be good neighbors, and love people well, within the boundaries that provide healthy space to experience community. It's a fine line to walk, but it's worth it to be willing to fulfill the calling that God has given our family.
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