Lent Day 3

The text today from Deuteronomy reminds the people to welcome the stranger because they were once strangers in a strange land.

Kendra took me to her exercise class today. It was "bring a friend day." She has just started and so I got to be the friend. Of course I was the only man in the room besides the young man who was the instructor.

It isn't easy to be a stranger. One falls so easily into the "what if they don't like me" feelings. Its not as if in this class I expected to meet people, I was there to support Kendra in this new effort of hers. Its hard to be new.

I try to remember that when new people visit the church as well. Its hard when you don't know what is going to happen, if the people will accept you, are you wearing the right clothes. There are a number of social pressures to being the stranger. I suppose the best way to welcome the stranger in our midst is to remember what it has been like to be the stranger.

Today was supposed to be an easy workout day. OUCH, I hurt in place where I forgot I had muscles.