Hospitality and house guests.

This is Mallory.

She and I have been sharing a room for a few weeks now. "What?" you ask. Yes, I said it....we are sharing a room. thirty Things Thursday paid off and with a little help from a friend (thanks, KB) I have rid myself of half of my life and I'm loving it!!!! Mal's air mattress fits snugly under my loft bed and she will be living with me for the month of June so she can take classes and I can get a little money towards rent.

A week before Mallory moved in I transformed my room (and my life) to fit around her needs and what a cool way to consider the implications of hospitality. I made her space in my closet, cleared off the bathroom counter, gave her some shelf space for books and a fan in case she gets cold on the floor.

You see, I have a LOT of free time on my hands these days and I am really enjoying getting to know who I am OUTSIDE of my identity as a student. God is really helping me to understand that even though I admire great things in other people, sometimes its important to figure out how to do things on my terms.

My friend Sarah told me that when she lives with someone, it reminds her that she has to be intentional about not being selfish and forces her to not only help people in her "free time."

I am enjoying having Mallory invade my space. My room has never been cleaner, and I really enjoy talking about our days and decorating cupcakes. Its fun to come home and see 4 people I don't know sitting in my living room with their bikes propped up against the wall. (That couch sits empty all day when I am gone.) Most of all, I am really enjoying finding creative ways to serve my new roommate in my own way, because hospitality should be personal. Now if only I could figure out how to plug my cell phone in after she's fallen asleep without hitting her in the head with the cord.