Open Hearts & Open Homes Sample

# Day 10 Written by Ps. Carol Hanes ## The Family ### Read Psalm 68:6 ### Reflect I love the church. It is the physical expression of Christ in the earth and the global representation of the family of God. It is where everyone who comes can find a place where they are known, noticed and belong. Through decades of pastoral work, I have loved seeing how the Lord sets the solitary into the family of God. I have delighted to see how the individual who might be overlooked elsewhere finds significance in the house of God. Some people are alone not by choice, as their lives went in a different direction, or are on their own for other reasons.  Some people don't mind their own company at all and are happy on their own. At some point, most realise it’s important to their well-being to be with other people, but where to start? That's where the family of God comes in. We can be proactive and welcome the single, the solo parent, the widow, or the young person who could really use a "dad" in his life. Psalm 68:6, tells us God "sets" the solitary in families. This word suggests a long-lasting situation. It's sometimes translated "settled" or "dwell." Could we all be more open to adding someone to our family? ### Respond Ask the Lord to bring to your attention someone on their own. Take some time to pray for this person and then ask Him how He wants you to include them in some way.