I recently saw an ad for a mat that said, “Delivery person: Were Rachel and Ross on a break?”
Yes, with an arrow to the right.
No, with an arrow to the left.
Of course, there was a doorbell video of the subsequent deliveries being placed on the right or the left of the mat.
As a ‘Friends’ fan, I found it humorous.
A welcome mat on the front porch often gives insight into the character of the people who live there. In most cases, it’s a reflection of their personality. I’ve seen “wipe your paws” or “Welcome” or the homeowner’s last name. My current welcome mat simply has a bee on it.
What is the purpose of the welcome mat? To simply wipe your feet before entering the home? Or is it more complex? Perhaps it’s the true welcoming gesture into someone’s home and their life.
Inside those homes, we often find lonely women who are completing the mundane chores of life. Folding laundry, kissing boo-boos, making dinner, paying bills, and raising children. They could be single or married. Mothers or Grandmothers. Career-focused or school-focused. All walks of life and all ages of women…who may be lonely despite their welcome mat at the front door.
The psalmist tells us “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.” ~Psalm 25:16
How can we combat the loneliness we see in ourselves and in other women? We can dust off our own welcome mat and invite others into our space. Who cares if you have toys on the floor or unfolded laundry on top of the dining room table? Let those who are lonely see that they aren’t alone…and that we can stop pressuring ourselves and others to feel as though they must present a perfected picture of their home.
As women, we don’t typically need to see perfection. Rather, we’d like to see genuineness. And in that genuine interaction, we see the ‘realness’ of one another. We aren’t waiting to judge…we simply waiting to be invited in.
Perhaps the world needs more welcome mats.
Even if they make a joke about Rachel and Ross being on a break…
~Emily
Iron Porch 