There's No Place Like Home

I’m headed home today—right now sitting at my gate in the Seattle-Tacoma airport. I caught a puddle-jumper from Portland a couple of hours ago, and my flight for Dallas leaves in a little under two hours.

On the one hand, I hated to say goodbye to my sister and the kids this morning. On the other, they are starting back into a routine, and I need to get home. (I’m supposed to leave for a press trip in the Holy Land two weeks from today.)

Church and drama-team friends have their meals covered until the end of October. Isn’t that awesome? We certainly did not feel like cooking, let alone covering all the food groups, so those who arrived with healthful meals have provided a meaningful service. When folks stayed fifteen minutes to ask about the family but not eat up their entire night with conversation—that was good, too. The daily contact with people helps. But it has to come in reasonable doses.

Each night those kids asked with true gratitude for God to bless the hands that prepared their dinner. It was such a ministry.

I had good talks with my sis and both my niece and younger nephew within the past twenty-four hours. And here are some snippets from our conversations:

. Have a will and know where it is. It doesn’t hurt for a family member to have a copy.
. Tell your loved ones that you love them—and say it often.
. Even if you have a spouse who can support you now, have the training and/or education needed to support yourself someday in case you need to.
. When others around you have needs, offer something specific. Go beyond “Call if you need me” (which requires them to initiate) to offer a specific: “May I bring a meal?” “Can I clean your bathrooms this week?” “Need the ironing done?” “Can I help you write thank-you notes?” “May I return used dishes for you?”

.If you wonder “is email okay or should I send a card,” I suggest “do both.” People cannot receive too many expressions of kindness.

By the way, thanks for yours. It has been a great help. And I'm grateful.