It was 4pm when I texted her and invited her family of 9 over for dinner. I hadn't even started fixing supper yet, the house was a bit of a wreck, and I still had my hair up in a messy ponytail. But I knew that sometimes you just follow the Lord's prompting toward uncomfortable hospitality just because he knows better than you.
Why uncomfortable hospitality? Well, I suppose I call it that because most of the time, hospitality is uncomfortable and inconvenient. Who isn't hospitable when the house is spotless, the appetizers are set out, and there's a new outfit to throw on for the evening's festivities? But, that's not where real hospitality finds most of us.
Real hospitality can be uncomfortable. It requires effort. It takes time. It means sacrifice. It draws us out from what makes us feel in control to seeing what grace God can orchestrate in his sovereignty.
Real hospitality
For all of us who live in the day to day pressure cooker of schoolwork, dirty diapers, housework, emails, home maintenance, church activities, sports, grocery shopping, and music lessons, we know that sometimes bathing all the children seems difficult to fit into the schedule, much less showering, yourself. Hospitality can so easily fall by the wayside, a casualty of a much too cluttered mind and life. We think that, with uninterrupted time, we will get it all figured out. And, sometimes that is the case in order for us to do a few things well.
But sometimes, you do what seems uncomfortable-- perhaps inconvenient-- and open the door with welcome, and what you find is that hospitality does more than provide; it protects.
Hospitality protects our hearts from self-centeredness. Hospitality protects our hearts from pride. Hospitality protects our hearts from putting performance over people. Hospitality protects our hearts from placing routine above relationship. Hospitality protects our hearts from taking ourselves too seriously.
And hospitality beautifies your home and brings life to your table because it is not just blessing others, but welcoming a blessing. The door of hospitality opens from the outside as well as from within.
It goes both ways, and thus, God once again wastes nothing. Not one heartache, not one pot of soup, not one evening given up for pursuing instead of productivity.
When he asks you to open the door. Trust him with all the blessing that may be welcomed in.
In continuation of my 31 Day Drawing Close series...sketching and discovering with my pencil or brush for 31 days, I quickly painted the flowers brought to me by friends we had over for dinner this week.
I'm drawing close to the blessing of hospitality when we step out of our comfort and welcome company.
Join me everyday this month for the Drawing Close series.
Day 1: Drawing Close Intro Day 2: A Portrait Day 3: Parts of A Whole Day 4: Be Strong and Courageous Day 5: A World Where There Are Octobers {My Birthday} Day 6: Keep Moving Forward Day 7: Bearing Fruit Day 8: Capturing Life In Motion Day 9: Real (Uncomfortable) Hospitality Day 10: Day 11: Day 12: Day 13: Day 14: Day 15: Day 16: Day 17: Day 18: Day 19: Day 20: Day 21: Day 22: Day 23: Day 24: Day 25: Day 26: Day 27: Day 28: Day 29: Day 30: Day 31:
