Come On In!

Nothing lasts forever, and true to form, a trusted piece of of our outdoor decor fell apart this week.
Unfortunately, it was a victim of several decades of snow, ice, 100 degree temperatures and thousands of downpours. For years on end, this sturdy old item has done its duty and kept dirty shoes and boots from tracking through our living room. It wasn't fancy, but it was trustworthy and did its job quite well. But, now it is in pieces.
I am writing about, as you have probably guessed by now, our trusty old black rubber WELCOME mat. We don't remember when we purchased it, but those seven letters have greeted each and every person who has stood at our door for a really long time.
As I think about replacing our mat, I am becoming a bit sad and nostalgic.
Some of the folks who have stood on that mat have passed on. Young parents carrying toddlers have become senior citizens. Children who stood there are long into adulthood and many now have children of their own. Our old mat has WELCOMEd a lot of people.
But, on the bright side, we are going to replace it today. A trip to the big-box, home improvement store this afternoon will do the trick, and by tonight, the pieces of our old mat will be in our trash bin.
Tomorrow, if our shopping trip is successful, we will have a brand new WELCOME mat at our front stoop, ready to greet many more years of visitors

Kind and welcoming Lord. You always have the WELCOME mat there for us. You are always the perfect host. Help us to become family in Your kingdom and earth and forever.