When I was a kid, our family made a monthly excursion to visit my maternal grandparents. Every time we arrived at the door
of their farmhouse, Grandma Lester would greet us with the words, “Come on in
and sit a spell.” It was her way of telling us to make ourselves comfortable,
stay a while, and share in some “catching-up” conversation.
Life can get pretty busy. In our action-oriented world, it’s hard to get
to know people. It’s tough to find time to ask someone to “sit a spell” with
us. We can get more done if we text each other and get right to the point.
But look at what Jesus did when He wanted to make a difference in the
life of a tax collector. He went to Zacchaeus’s house to “sit a spell.” His
words, “I must stay at your house” indicate that this was no quick stopover
(Luke 19:5). Jesus spent time with him, and Zacchaeus’s life was turned around
because of this time with Jesus.
On the front porch of my grandmother’s house were several chairs—a warm invitation to all visitors to relax and talk. If we’re going to get to know someone and to make a difference in their life—as Jesus did for Zacchaeus—we need to invite them to “come sit a spell.”
