Do you feel like if you invite more friends to the party you’ll feel like you have less rather than more? Do you feel like you just can’t handle more people in your space?

In conversations with friends, and even my child, I see hints of fear. Fear of losing out if you invite more people to the table. Fear of not getting what you think you deserve. Fear of not having your emotional and social needs met by the people you surround yourself with. In my son’s case, it’s fear of having to share his toys. For adult woman, it’s fear of having to share our lives.

What we forget is that when we extend a hand in love to those around us, it’s not for our gain. We extend the hand because we are loved, and we use our love like confetti, throwing it around and letting it land on whoever is near.

Your proverbial table is as big as you want it it to be. You have room to love people. We all do. When we invite others to the table we will often find ourselves with a cup that is running over, not running dry. When we invite others to the table, and love them as they are, we become the person we were designed to be, loving and generous.

A mindset of scarcity has benched too many of us, convincing us we won’t have enough for everyone. I’m not saying it’s your job to to maintain a billion deep relationships, but what I am saying is make room when you feel the nudge. Make room in your world to love those around you, even when you feel you may get nothing in return. You never know who you are going to meet, you never know how her story will shape and teach you.

Shauna Niequist, one of my favorite writers, believes,

When you offer peace instead of division, when you offer faith instead of fear, when you offer someone a place at your table instead of keeping them out because they’re different or messy or wrong somehow, you represent the heart of Christ.

It’s true, isn’t it? Our lives our richer, sweeter, and brighter when we love others, expecting nothing in return.

We need our tribes, our people we share the mess with, but we also need the others, the others who can’t do anything for us, it’s simply our job to love them as they cross our path.

If we lean into love our cups will be filled.

This doesn’t mean host all the time, or overextend yourself, or make busyness a way of life in the name of “loving” people. I mean be willing to reach a hand to the woman on the outskirts, to the woman who wears a weary spirit.

As you embrace love from the Father and care for your own soul you’ll find love like confetti stuffed deep in your pockets. Throw it around. It’s a beautiful way to live.

I pray when you are the truest version of yourself, free of pretense or fear, you’ll invite others to rise, to be the man or woman God hand-crafted them to be. I think that’s all the world ever needs, is you to be the YOU. The you that walks in love, is marked by joy, and led by peace.

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Are you feeling like not enough? Or maybe thinking about what it means to find your tribe? I think on these things too.

One more thing, I have a little something for you. I have two new summer printables for you in the resource library. Pop over and grab them. They’ll brighten up your kitchen!

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