When the Farm Is Full (and When It Isn’t)

Ever since I was a teenager, I dreamed of being a mom with an open door.

I grew up in that kind of house — the kind where everyone gathered, where friends came and went freely, and where the front door didn’t even have a key. Our home was the hub. And while I’m sure my parents were exhausted more often than they let on — feeding everyone, cleaning up endless messes, staying up late night after night — the door was always open.

I loved that about my childhood.
And I knew I wanted the same thing.

So when I imagined my own future, I pictured babies… then boys… then teenagers — and I just knew the farm would seal the deal. I mean, what boy wouldn’t love wide open land, animals, dirt roads, and freedom?

Right?

But it hasn’t defaulted the way I thought it would. The dirt road, the animals, the distance....  The “it’s kind of out of the way” factor. I get it — I really do.

There hasn’t been a constant revolving door of friends the way I imagined. And I’ll be honest — I’ve grieved that. I’ve grieved the idea that my kids might always prefer being somewhere else, somewhere closer to town, somewhere with neighbors, friends, and convenience.

It took me a while to realize this truth:

Everything has a season.

But lately, I’ve noticed something else.

As I’ve been prayerfully setting goals to draw nearer to God and be more rooted at home, something has quietly shifted. The moments when our house has been full haven’t been planned at all. They’ve been spur-of-the-moment. Non-events. Last-minute texts. Unexpected arrivals and visitors without an agenda. 

Because I was home, the house was ready, because my heart was open…

I could receive the crew. Feed the crew. Pray over the crew.

And suddenly, I realized — maybe this season I envisioned isn’t about crowds.
Maybe it’s about availability. God waited for me to be available to bring this season... !!!

Scripture reminds us:

“Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
— Romans 12:13

“Be prepared in season and out of season.”
— 2 Timothy 4:2

Hospitality isn’t about how many people show up; it’s about whether we’re ready when they do.

Living on a farm is funny like that.

Some days, it means the doors are wide open, and people wander in — no invitation needed. Extra boots by the door. Cars are parked in whatever open space they find. Friends know if they come, it will be for the extended stay to make the drive worthwhile... 

Other days, the distance, the dirt road, and the business of farm chores and upkeep seem to keep the world at bay.

But oh, the days when the farm is full. Those are my favorites.

The boys light up when friends pile in. They don’t care who came first or who’s staying the longest. They just know the house is louder, the land is alive, and there’s someone else to run with, build with, argue with, and laugh with.... grow with.  Truth be told… so do I.

A full home = a full heart.

Not because of the noise or the activity or the food…
but because I know I’m standing in the very thing I prayed for years ago. 💛

I don’t want to waste these opportunities. I don’t want to miss the chance to speak Jesus over the ones who walk through my doors. To pray for favor and blessings on them.
To feed them — physically and spiritually.             


“I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.”
— Matthew 25:35
"Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling."  
— 1 Peter 4:9

I never know exactly what the next season will look like... I am usually still questioning the current season until it has passed! But I do know this: The farm is becoming a place to be. More importantly, my heart is ready and available — not for my expectations, but for God’s invitations.


What season are you in — and how might God be asking you to be more available right where you are?


Lord, thank You for the people You bring into my life — planned and unplanned. Thank you for the loud days and the quiet ones. Help me remain ready, open, and willing to serve wherever You place me. Help me to keep my heart and my home open, trusting that You will fill them in Your perfect timing. Teach me to see every open door as an opportunity to love well and point others to You. Amen.

Until next time, keep following the Plott, and I will be praying for us all. 💛


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