Practicing Hospitality

We have been hosting a lot of out-of-town guests this summer. Wave after wave of friends and family have come and gone. This was our summer of the stay-cation. We stayed here at home, while others considered us their vacation destination.

My husband and I have gotten pretty good in our respective hosting roles. I prep and clean and shop and cook. He plans the adventures and entertainment. I put out clean sheets and fresh towels. He packs bikes on the rack and water bottles for the trail. I make a pretty good espresso. He makes us laugh.

God's word encourages us to practice hospitality. And it does take practice. Hospitality means opening your home and saying "Here we are, with all of our faults and imperfections. Here you will probably find a cobweb in a neglected corner, a weedy patch in the garden, a carton of creamer that may be past its expiration date. But hopefully, you will also find love and laughter, comfort and joy."

We so treasure our time with family and friends. Mornings at the table, piled high with cookbooks and magazines. Dinners at local restaurants. Desserts on the patio with candles flickering in the darkness. Conversation and confession. Bread and wine. Communion.

It has been a busy, crazy, spontaneously planned kind of summer, the kind of summer that we will look back on in the snowy days of winter and say to each other "Wasn't that fun?"

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:8-10