How an Invitation is an Act of Hospitality

“Want to come to Israel?” she asked.

Her life had been deeply impacted by her sandaled feet walking on the sacred ground that was once beneath her Savior’s feet.

She had been changed, so she invited others to come and see for themselves. The stories from her trip surfaced in bits and bursts, yet it was evident there was a weight to them…not a heaviness but an awe, a weight of story and glory…that could be partially felt but best experienced for oneself.

On the other side of her invitation was a heart, whose soil had been prepared to answer, “yes.” Share on X

Two different stories, intersecting at the corners, leading both to walk with sandaled feet in the dust and heat of the Holy Land.

Kaitlyn extended her invitation to many, via her lovely Instagram feed, “Want to come to Israel?” After years of God whispering that I was to go someday, I answered the invitation with “yes.”

Kaitlyn’s invitation provided others with the opportunity to respond as God led.

Never underestimate the power of an invitation.

Last June, I boarded a plane headed to Tel Aviv, by way of Rome. As the sea blended into the western border of the Promised Land, in some ways I felt like I was coming home. Maybe it was because a copy of Made Like Martha, was tucked in my carry-on, and Martha was once native to this land, or maybe it was because I grew-up reading in the Bible about this far-off place that was now coming into focus? But mostly, it was my heart responding to the One who invited me to say yes to a journey with Him…not just to this trip, but to a life of faith—following His steps, over rugged terrain and stunning beauty, through valleys and vistas, that one day will lead Home.

Never underestimate the power of an invitation. Share on X

While I hope you can travel to see Israel for yourself one day, that’s not the point. The point is—the prayer is—the plea is—will you say yes to Jesus’ invitation? to go when He says go, to stay when He says stay, to follow in His steps even when it’s scary, or lonely, or uncomfortable, to find Him in the thick of it?

And will you invite others to do the same? Will you share your story of what God has done in, through, and around you?

As I wrote this, I hopped over to Kaitlyn’s Instagram feed to do little fact-checking, and there was this quote from Eugene Peterson,

Stories are verbal acts of hospitality.”

Yes, that’s it.

Kaitlyn’s invitation was an act of hospitality to the soul…deep calling to deep, through a simple, weighty question, “Want to come to Israel?”

It’s wasn’t just an invitation to travel, it was an invitation to become more of who He’s made me to be and, more importantly, to discover more of who He is.

Read the rest of this post over on Kaitlyn’s beautiful site…Kaitlyn’s beautiful site…