Do you ever find that the busyness of life gets in the way from allowing love to flow through your life? What if we could learn to take a step back and love others the way Jesus did?
Maria Goff was intentional about creating a home for her husband, Bob, and their children where love was definitely felt. She explains how a “Help Wanted” sign pointed her in the direction of allowing love to be the main focus in her home.
“I think it started from this idea that I had of making a career out of loving my family. I just remember feeling really overwhelmed when the kids were little. I was at the store with my kids one day and had passed this wall of store signs on display that were for sale. The one that caught my eye the most was the big black and white one that said, ‘Help Wanted.’”
“I took a look at it and I said, under my breath, boy isn’t that the truth? So I bought that sign, I brought it home and I stuck it in our front living room window. It felt so official and if somebody on the street saw that sign, they may come to the door and want to apply for a job.”
“What that did for me was give me a chance to really think about what it was that I needed help with so that before Bob got home and would want to know how he could help, that I actually had an answer for it.”
For many of us, asking for help is a struggle in and of itself. Maria adds that we may not even know what we are asking for.
“A lot of times I think we just get so overwhelmed and stuck in that feeling of despair, that we’re not even sure how to ask for help. A part of asking for help is being able to articulate what you need.”
She reflects back on this time in her life when she came to the realization of what she actually needed. This allowed her to reprioritize her household and put love back at the center of her focus.
“While Bob wants to change the world, I always have been focused on homeland security. I’m pretty clear about that as far as when we make decisions; I’m always making sure that what we’re doing fits for our family and everybody in it, much like how somebody would make decisions for a company running well.”
“One of the ways that we were able to express that is through hospitality and inviting people into our home. We started with the people that live here and treating them the way that we would want to be treated when we come in through the front door. We were raising ourselves to a higher standard of respect and love for each other.”
Jesus was intentional to make sure people felt loved and appreciated when He entered a room. We, too, can demonstrate His love for others by putting our busyness aside and allowing love to lead the way.
Maria Goff has made a career out of loving her family and neighbors, raising her children, and turning houses into homes. She is married to national bestselling author of “Love Does” Bob Goff. Maria’s first book is titled .
Let love lead
