A Chance to be Known

I wasn’t doing so well the first time we visited Sanctuary Inn. Our family had been in the US much longer than anticipated and I was itching to get back to Asia. My American friends cared about me, yet sometimes struggled to wrap their minds around the challenges of life overseas. I felt isolated and found myself asking, “Where are you, God? We’re trying to discern our next steps, but you feel so silent!”

My husband and I were tense upon arrival, after a six-hour drive – and an argument in the car. We were welcomed by a bright, crackling fire in the Lodge and the soothing, rocky murmurs of the Salmon River. If you’ve ever dined at Sanctuary Inn, you know that good food and engaging conversations are in plentiful supply. The people we met wanted to know who we were; they wanted to hear our stories. I myself was happy to learn about others but I wasn’t overly ready to share my own heart. How much did they really want to know? Because it wasn’t pretty inside.

Despite my hesitancies, the staff at Sanctuary Inn continued to be warm and inviting. They understood living overseas, with its joys and griefs. It felt like they welcomed us into their lives, into their family. Eventually, after numerous meals and abundant conversation, we began to feel known. And loved. Our time there began to open up space for God to meet me where I hurt, in all my disappointment about our current reality.  Slowly, I began to feel safe sharing my own heart, knowing that I would be met by people who understood my experiences and had been there too.

When we returned to Sanctuary Inn a month or two later with our kids in tow, everyone had already learned their names. Steve Price even asked us if there was a particular child who wasn’t thrilled to be there (there was!) and he made a point of reaching out to them. At that time our kiddos ranged in age from 4th grade to high school. Fast forward six years, and two of the four have now graduated from college and landed what they call “Big Person Jobs.”

My husband and I were at Sanctuary Inn recently, sharing the latest family news. Our second daughter, who grew up with her toes in the ocean, is now a marine biologist moving to the island of Guam. Although Abi has moved overseas many times, she was feeling understandably overwhelmed, saying “I’ve never done this by myself! I don’t know anyone yet! I don’t even know where I’ll live!”  We talked about her late into the night, until the only people left awake were myself, my husband, and Anna Abbott. And there we sat on the orange chairs of the dining room, texting Abi for more details and googling places for her to live in Guam. In the end, God would fit all the puzzle pieces together, providing the perfect place for her to stay (it even came with a snuggly cat). But she didn’t know that yet. What Abi did know, as she sent us text after text, was that Anna saw her. Anna had cared for years and was excited to be a part of the search as Abi moved into this new phase of life. Anna was in her corner.

This is one of the many gifts Sanctuary Inn offers its guests – a chance to be known and loved by people who “get” the many parts of their lives, both overseas and in the US. They “get” the delight of God doing great and beautiful things, and the grief brought by disappointments or so many goodbyes. We individuals and families may arrive as guests, but over time become a kind of family. What a grace, for weary hearts to feel nourished and tended as they listen to God.

Today, I have the joy of serving on Sanctuary Inn’s board. I’m deeply grateful for the ways God has met me in this place, and for the community I find here. Along with the rest of the staff and volunteers, I long for God to increase our capacity for supporting global workers. I pray he continues to grow us in our ability to love people well, to walk alongside the broken-hearted, and to offer sanctuary to the overwhelmed and weary. May they find the rest Jesus speaks of when he says:

 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” (Matthew 11:28-29, MSG)

-Robin Huber
(Sanctuary Inn Board Member)