Over the last few days, we have opened our home to love on 5 amazing people who are about to leave the country for 3 years. 5 people who have been so much a part of our daily lives that I forget we’ve known them for only a year. 5 people who showed up at our house and picked up right where we left off.
There wasn’t a gourmet meal made or served in this house over the last three days. My house wasn’t spick-n-span when they got here. In fact I’m not totally sure my son had on pants when they got here. To think that we had our stuff together would be a vast over statement.
We didn’t follow any hospitality rules. We didn’t stress over menus or cleaning. We were just us – untidy, loving, chatty, silly, us. We simply opened our hearts and home in the hope of letting the love of Jesus show out of us.
With 5 kids ages 3 and under, the house got a little a lot messy – and quickly. But I don’t remember hearing any yelling or having to break up any fights. The kids shared toys and laughter in a pure and loving way.
And that’s what hospitality is about, I think, at least a part of it. It’s about sharing ourselves and our homes and our lives in a pure and loving way with the hope of our Jesus showing through.
So often when we think of hospitality, we think of the industry that it’s been turned into – restaurants, lodging, and the guest experience of those things. I think that’s a part.
And you can join ‘hospitality committees’ at church or other places and that committee handles the coffee or the set-up and tear down for an event, or greeting people as they come. That’s part too.
There are also a lot of bloggers talking about having people from church or different friends over for dinner once a month or taking them meals and having your house just “so” to be a hospitable and welcoming place to your family and others. That’s another part.
But this week, in our little corner of the world, hospitality looked like kids running through the sprinkler, toys and puzzle pieces spread across three rooms, and grabbing a pizza quick while we kept right on catching up and sharing our lives.
What does hospitality look like in your little part of the world? What do you wish it could look like? I’d love to hear from you!
Rebecca says
If you think this is a mess, please never visit my basement.
Leah says
Rebecca
This picture cannot properly convey the mess of 5 little people under age 3. However I was so happy to have the mess. I hope you are happy about your mess too. I bet it means you have lots of blessings looking you in the face every day.
Leah