I don’t remember too many weeks from my childhood when we didn’t have someone in our home for coffee, a meal, game night, or any other number of reasons. But as I’ve grown older (okay fine: much, much older), I’ve realized that this is more the exception than the rule for most families. In the post that follows, my mom, Lorraine, shares a few simple thoughts on the importance and ease of heart-driven hospitality.
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“Come join us for dinner after church on Sunday. We are inviting the Coonrads and the Cruickshanks. We know you will love getting to know them. Sometimes new families find it a bit overwhelming to meet people with similar interests. I’ll have most everything ready, thanks to my slow cooker, and the men can cook the meat on the grill.”
Does that sound like something you would do, or do you shy away from having people in your home?
1 Peter 4:9–10, NIV: “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
Sometimes, wonderful friendships begin over a meal at the kitchen table. Don’t think of entertaining as a way to show off “things,” but think of it as a way of showing hospitality, which is a ministry.
Many excuses come to mind when we think of having guests in our home:
“We can’t afford it.”
“Our house isn’t nice enough.”
“Our table is too small.”
“My husband doesn’t like a crowd.”
“It’s too much work.”
“We’ll do it later, when: the kids are bigger / we have a bigger place / my cooking improves, etc.”
Use what you have, within the parameters of your home, finances, and time. Know what? Your guests will love it!
- Tidy up your house. I find that I always get something extra done in the area of cleaning when company is coming!
- Set the table early.
- Plan your menu and prepare as much as possible ahead of time.
- When you invite your guests, ask if they have food allergies or dislikes.
- Don’t hesitate to accept your guest’s offer to bring dessert, chips, salad, or veggies. (Be sure to tell them how many people will be there.)
The fellowship is the goal of your hospitality! Don’t miss that because you are exhausted from last-minute preparation.
Hebrews 13:1–2, NIV: “Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
Hospitality is a great way and easily attainable way to be a good and generous steward of what the Lord has entrusted to you.
Set a time this week to open your home to others in the near future! When it’s done with God’s help and for His glory, you’re sure to have a great time!
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Do you have a question for Grandma or a topic you’d like to learn more about from someone who has most likely been there and done that sometime in her eighty-four years? Send your questions to Grandma@PetalsfromtheBasket.com!
Hi Brenda, I was touched by your memorial to your father. My mother went to be with the Lord a few years ago. She was all I had, as my sister passed 10 yrs ago. We were so very close – they were my best friends. After Susan passed, I started learning and leaning more on Jesus. After my mother passed, my friends were amazed at how well I was coping. I told them the truth, God was carrying me. Since then I have reconnected with some long lost family members in NJ, have discovered my family roots in England, and have done something my sister and mother always wanted me to do – write a book about the teddy bear stories that I made up. Last year I self published the story as an ebook on Amazon, and this month I self published the story as a softcover book, on Amazon, with my illustrations. I had been planning to write this over 20 yrs when I left my job at Merrill Lynch. It’s amazing what can happen when you give God charge of your life. I should have done that earlier- oh well better late than never! Take care.