Welcome to Our Home by Ray Rhodes

Welcome to our home.
These walls hold voices. Listen carefully and you may hear…The cries of new born babies with the accompanying feelings of joy and the grief of a family at the loss of those unborn. Laughter and tears, the inseparable couple, have painted our walls and stained the floors.
Our family is extended beyond blood-lines to sports teams, church members and travelers that have come our way. Wedding vows have been made by our fireplace. Games played on our floors. Pizza ate in front of our television. Presents have been opened beneath our tree.
These walls hold the high pitched voices of little girls who have used the hardwood as a skating rink and basketball court. These rooms embrace young women that cook, clean, play music, welcome friends, and laugh and cry… And cry and laugh.
And this place sustains a godly wife forever young and a man whose hair continues to gray. They grow together enjoying the patter of little feet and the intrigue of young ladies. Life is good.
Prayer meetings, worship services, team parties all have found a home here. Baptisms have been celebrated and friends have been counseled…all here between the walls.
Music from the violin, piano and guitar have wafted through our rooms and danced upon our senses.
Our home is place of school, worship, and play. It is a place where memories are made and life is lived. You will not find a museum but a refuge, play ground, hospitality center, mission’s station and a place where God is met.
Few seasons have found such a welcome in our home as Christmas. For weeks the day is anticipated. Plans are made. Trees are decorated. Traditions are relived. The kitchen smells of the holidays. The children will line up on the stairway on Christmas morning.
And, you are here. As the door was opened tonight you stepped into this home. Your words will find a place in the archives of our memories. Your kindness in gracing our home will be long remembered. You have entered this season with us. You are here because you have touched our lives in some way. We are very thankful for you. You are a gift from God to us. Welcome!
And we pray that you will find that God is here. Yes, He is everywhere. And yet here, we pray, He is welcomed as a friend and worshipped as Lord.
Memories, wood, mortar, music, parties and even children are nothing without Him.
We have fallen short of His glory. He has shown more grace.
We welcome our Savior who came to “seek and save the lost.” The walls of the womb and the walls of the cradle felt his first movements, heard his first cry and protected his early life.
And He grew. He never fell short. He died. He arose. He lives.
He is here. Welcome to our home.