As I reflect on 2017 and look forward to Christmas, I am very cognizant that this holiday season is different. With the massive flooding seen here in Houston, very few of the victims will have their homes fully back in order by the 25th. Many in California have experienced devastation through wildfires while Puerto Rico saw terrible loss of its own, and the list goes on in what has been a tough year.
As I help in the design of a flood re-model and speak with people in the midst of putting their homes back together, it becomes more apparent that 'home' is much more than a foundation and studs. Home provides a sense of stability, comfort, a feeling of belonging and place. Home is safety and memories. Though these attributes in their purest form cannot be washed away or inflamed, we need to be sensitive this season to the condition and needs of our neighbors, friends, and fellow humans. May we practice hospitality on a grander scale this Christmas and seek to offer others a place of comfort and belonging within out homes.
