Thoughts on Romans 12; Showing Hospitality

The picture above was taken two years ago, when Tori decided that she would like to throw a little tea party. She spent an entire morning as head chef for her luncheon. I'm smiling remembering that afternoon... and reminding myself that we have yet to throw one for our Aunt... haha.

Hospitality does not solely mean entertaining people outside of our home, and it doesn't have to happen in our house. I realized this through a passing remark my Dad made one time, and it has stuck with me since then.

We had been looking for a house for months. Every couple weeks, Daddy's day off would be spent house hunting for something close to where we lived, but a little more permanent than the rental we were in. Eventually, they started paperwork for what has become known as "the yellow house". We would bring crayons and paper and books for the youngest three (realizing that Bethi was included in that number makes it feel likes forever ago, haha!), and they would sit and draw or read while Mama and Daddy were talking with the realtors and going over their papers.

One afternoon, while we were sitting in our realtor's office, one of the other realtors in the building popped in to ask if her grandson, who had heard other children in the building and was bored waiting for her to get done, could stay and play. He was 5... and about as tall as I was, at 11, haha... ya, I've always been short. The little ones shared their papers and crayons with him, and he seemed to enjoy himself. Later, during bible study, Daddy mentioned that he was pleased with how they had shown hospitality, and I realized that hospitality doesn't mean hosting a get together at your house, but it's a heart matter. It isn't throwing the best party, but making the person feel at home :).

You can have the biggest house, the best dinner, and everything go off perfectly, but without genuine love for the people -including your family- around you, it's not hospitality, it's just a show. But some of the times I have seen the best display of hospitality have been gathered on my Great-Grandma's porch, because her house is too small to hold everyone comfortably, talking with those who love having us there. That kind of hospitality means more than any attention to the details of napkin rings :).