Right after we moved to Slovenia, a gypsy woman with two small children came to our door asking for food, clothes, or money. I was able to give her some things and she went away grateful. Over the years I began to notice that whenever gypsies were in the area, they seemed to come directly to our house–often without even stopping at the neighbors’.
A Slovene friend told me that our house had been “marked” by the first woman as a place where other gypsies could come and not be turned away and also have some of their needs met. This “mark” that I cannot see identifies our home as a safe place.
Recently I have begun to think about how my relationship with Christ “marks” me to others. When someone approaches me, do I “close the door in their face” with my shallow conversation, or “pretend not to be home” by allowing my heart and mind to wander as they share? What would it take in my life to be “marked” as a “safe place where others would not be turned away.”
“And you shall remember all the ways which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness…that He might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart…” (Deut. 8:2)
My journey with God and how I respond to it will “mark” me in many ways–both seen and unseen.
Where is my journey leading me and how am I allowing Christ to “mark” me today?
This article is a classic originally published in our early print magazines.
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