Sharing our resources

Judy and David's balcony - a haven with views of Downtown LA

House-sitting: what a great way of sharing resources, building bridges and living graciously!  We’re house-sitting now, in Los Angeles.  Judy, David and Pau are in Vermont for a fortnight (visiting her brother who has a maple syrup farm – sounds great!).  They wanted somebody to keep an eye on the house and feed the cats, Paco and Eli.  We hope we’re helping them out, but they are helping us more.

That’s because our Los Angeles family’s apartment isn’t big enough for us to stay in.  Four weeks’ of self-catering rent or hotel charges would have been difficult to find  (and who wants to stay in a hotel for that long?).  So when Lauren spotted Judy’s invitation – circulated through a local parents’ support group – we couldn’t believe our luck.  We’ve been able to stay near the new baby, cook, wash clothes, relax, and feel as though we’re really living here. It’s been lovely to learn a little about the artistic, creative hosts we haven’t (yet) met.  And it’s been a treat getting to know the neighbourhood of Los Feliz, which we’d never have found otherwise.

And what about our house, lying empty all these weeks?  An email to friends, passed on to their friends, put us in touch with Rob, Antonia and Frank, temporarily homeless while they try to buy a house.  They’ve moved in for a couple of weeks and it was brilliant to hear that Frank (aged 4) has made a den in the back garden.  Then our fab Ozzy friends Jane and Tanya will be moving in during August, with their Ukeleles – my only regret is not being there for the parties they’ll inevitably throw.

Writing about this reminded me of the phrase in the (Quaker) Advices and Queries: ‘Try to make your home a place of loving friendship and enjoyment, where all who live or visit may find the peace and refreshment of God’s presence.’

Does charity begin at home?  I never liked the phrase much: it seems to assume  that ‘we’ are more important than ‘they’ out there.  And, working in the charity sector, I know how contestable the term ‘charity’ is.  But of course home is a good place to start, not only as a bedrock for our own lives, but also as a place of safety, that we can share with others.