Big Big House, Big Big Table, pt. 3

A Marriage and a Mission

So we got married. We went skiing in Colorado for our honeymoon and when we returned, a team of guys had built us a room inside the basement, with fresh drywall and a powerful space heater. We were so blessed that God had given us a home within this mansion and we thanked him every step of the way. In those first months, I cooked on a hot plate and used a makeshift shower, but I had joy and my heart was full of anticipation for what God would do.

Provision Begins to Unfold

We began to see provision unfold. A skilled craftsman and contractor moved into the house with us. He had felt that God told him to pour into what He was doing through this mission. Other skilled workers came and also began to transform the house. A group of men from Wisconsin took a mission trip just to help us! God provided the labor and the finances to make the house livable and a space to gather.

Worship on the Hill

Our first summer at The Lewis House, we were meeting with a group of young adults, discussing how we had been so blessed by the presence of God in worship services. We started to imagine what would happen if we took that atmosphere to public places and decided to try it out. We landed on the hill down by the river, next to what was then COSI, with our buckets and drums where we began to worship.

Where They Gathered

While on the hill, we learned that a group of teens met at the bottom of that hill every week on Friday nights. So the next week we brought a cooler full of pop along with our drums. They welcomed us into their circle and for the rest of the summer, we hung out with them.

Friday Nights at Our House

As the end of the summer drew near, George and I began to wonder if the kids got together in the colder months. It seemed that they were like family with one another and we had really grown closer with them as well! It was hard to imagine disbanding for the winter. We began to pray and ask God if we should open the house to host a gathering space for the teens. God spoke to us to have them over for dinner every Friday night starting that fall. This was a big step for us, as we barely had enough money to provide one spaghetti dinner for the group, let alone a weekly dinner throughout the fall and winter.

The Lewis House became a place where many could gather around the table, experience community and a loving family. People made decisions for Jesus, followed by baptism and activation on mission. My heart was warmed that first year to see God do what only He could do: to take the yes of a young couple and add an army to it, providing everything needed for what He said The Lewis House would be. I still smile when I remember how He confirmed that He wanted us to live in the house with the Big Big House lyrics:

That was it, 100%. God had in mind something different than the world offers, a safe loving place that would show people the way to the family of God. And I love how He took our measly “loaves and fishes” and consistently fed the masses. This is my God! And the story continues….