Don't laugh...there have been oxygen bars in California and elsewhere for some time...admittedly that's California, but in England - and no doubt other places - they actually sell oxygen by the six pack.
Heck, I remember thinking how silly it was for people to buy bottled water, so I'm not going to judge...too much.
Anyway, the idea of buying canned oxygen got me thinking...which is always a somewhat treacherous proposition.
In recent days, Amy and I have come to believe more than ever that we were "meant" to host our new housemates. As we get to know this young couple better we're finding we have much in common and realizing we have stumbled ahead of them down many a trail and trial.
We both hope that perhaps God can use us to spare them some heartache by passing along what wisdom we've gained, or at the very least by displaying our scars.
I sat down for a while with Simon yesterday and could feel his burdens lifting slightly as I revealed that Amy and I have struggled and still do struggle in many ways - financially, as parents, and even at times spiritually. He almost let out a visible sigh of relief.
Maybe it's only that misery loves company, but I don't really believe that to be the case. I think all of us are often guilty of feeling like "we're the only ones" who have a hard time coping with the every day turmoil of life and we're therefore embarrassed to even mention our travails to anyone else.
So perhaps by being honest about our own frailties, Amy and I can help reduce a fragment of the stress facing this little family.
Indeed, it seems our "mission" may be more than providing a couple of rooms for them to live in but rather to point them toward something far more spacious and freeing: room to breathe.
If only we could bottle that...I bet that would be a big seller.
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah - Psalm 68:19
