Room Enough For Me

For anyone who has spoken with me over the past few months or has read my blog in any depth, you will have an idea of how important the community in which I live is a part of my life. I was attempting to work here part time while I'm away at school, but I was recently told that the funds weren't available for that. I was a little hurt at first, but I knew I would still come back.

My house leader (sometimes called a boss, but rarely) took me aside today to talk about me not being able to come back in a staff position. She knows how much this house has become a home to me in the past two summers and how much the people here have become a family. She wanted to know if the reason why I wanted to come back was so that I would have a place to stay. With my parents living close to the community, that wasn't really my concern, but her next words made me cry. She said that there will always be room for me here.

Every Christmas when I hear the Christmas story, I am struck by the inn keeper saying that there is no room here. It may be the Christmas music that the sunshine in this house loves so much, but I've been thinking about that a lot lately. I really had no idea how much it would mean to me to be told in specific words that this is my home and there will always be room enough for me.

Beyond offering a physical place to stay, even if it is just a small corner, I know that I am also being offered a place in people's lives and hearts. I am not being told that I am leaving for school. I am going back to school, but that doesn't stop me from being a part of the family here that has supported me for so long. I know that there are other homes for me as well. I have my parents home and my home in London. I have a place in the L'Arche house of Jubilee in London and I will form more homes as my life goes on, I'm sure. The offer of a constant place to stay means so much. What means even more is the offer of acceptance and love.

While I have a room waiting for me here when I return to London, I know that that is not the only room there will be for me. There will always be room at the table and a place in the hearts of many here who I will never really be able to leave behind.