You Are Welcome

Dagombas (the tribe where I am in Ghana) offer a wonderful greeting whenever you arrive somewhere. They say "a maraaba!" [ah-mah-rah-bah] which means, "You are welcome." Since they recognize American/Europeans they usually go ahead and say, "You are welcome" to us in English. This greeting is given when you arrive anywhere – a store, church, school, or upon entering someone's home. The Dagbani response to this greeting is "n goya" [en – goine-yah], which means, "thank-you for your welcome." It's funny, but I've gotten so used to the greeting that I find myself offering it now when people arrive somewhere that I am. Even funnier is I usually say the greeting with the stilted English accent most Ghanaians use over here, "Y-o-u a-r-e w-e-l-c-o-m-e!"

Anyhow – hearing this greeting so frequently made me realize how much not being welcome is such a huge fear many of us have. I don't think we consciously think of this, but deep down inside I believe many of us carry a fear of not being welcome. Many of us feel unworthy, or like a fifth wheel, or even condemned. We suspect that when we enter the room, those already present are actually unhappy we have arrived. We fear we are a lot of trouble – we're a burden – and people would rather we not be around.

This fear of not being welcome can be paralyzing. The antidote, of course, is to know that we are unconditionally accepted by God; the God who calls us his beloved. Jesus wants us to know "You are welcome here – 'a maraaba'" – He wants his home to be our home. He wants to know all about us; our likes and dislikes, our happy times and our sad times. He wants to know our plans and dreams. We are always welcomed by him. What's more, He's even gone ahead of us to prepare a place for us in the life to come.

Today, if you are feeling unwelcome for any reason. Know that you have a friend; one who says "a maraaba!" to you each and every time you approach him. That, my friend, is good news!