Our subject last week for our Lifegroup study was on hospitality. I have to admit that before I had children I was a hospitable/ party (in Jesus) at the Holt house every night kinda gal. Our house in Mexico was a hub of activity and fellowship to whosoever will.
After the arrival of my children (3), I became much less willing to have people into my home. I no longer had the time to clean it as I once had. I became more selfish with family time and resources and frankly, we were now living in a country/culture that fails miserably at knowing how to live in community with one another. I have definitely taken a step backwards in this area of my life.
In the book, Disciplines of a Godly Man, Hughes comments of the sorry state of our culture's current lack of value for community and friendship. He writes, '"The old adage that 'a man's house is his castle' is coming true today. His castle moat is his front lawn, the drawbridge his driveway, and the portcullis his automatic garage door through which he passes with electronic heraldry. Once inside, he removes his armor and attends to the house and hearth until daybreak, when he assumes his executive armament and, briefcase in hand, mounts his iron steed...presses the button, and rides of to the wars."
I am thankful that the Holy Spirit is challenging me in this very neglected area of my life.
Today hospitality, friendship and community have fallen on hard times. If we are to be all that God wants us to be we must open up and put some holy sweat into building relationships with one another, the unexclusive kinds that are ever growing in depth and number. Christianity is relationship with God, through JesusChrist ,and then spills directly over into relationship with one's neighbor. God's truth are most effectively lived out in relationships.
Share with me a time when you experienced a real sense of hospitality or community?
17 comments:
I'm sad to say, Cherie, that I am also not nearly as hospitable as I should be or have been. I guess the last time I really showed true hospitality was when I invited our widower neighbor to have Thanksgiving dinner with us. He was so grateful for the invite that he baked us a loaf of bananna-nut bread (even though he didn't take me up on the opportunity to eat with us). This is definitely an area in my life to address.
I have been testing the hospitality of my friends this week. I dropped something off at Kendra and Kari's house (unannounced).I have dropped in at Julie and Dreama twice (and it is only Thurs.) Lol...it wasn't really a test but it probably was a little irritating. Sorry. I have lost my cell phone which makes it hard to pre-announce myself. And seeing as I am a fly by the seat of my pants kinda gal, it is never scheduled into my day, so as to call before hand. You are all so good to put up with me. Hey, I think that was our lesson from a few weeks ago....bearing with eachother! See how God is using me in your lives already!...hehehe:)
All this dropping in unannounced is really just a ploy of mine to get my friends to take up an offering for a new cell phone for me :)
I think instead of you dropping in on others, we should be testing you and popping in unannounced. See you tonight....LOL
You were testing me?...I thought the test was yours. I was pretty concerned that you saw me without makeup the other day, and then you saw me without makeup AND still in the clothes I slept in last night!!!(Post VBS lag) But...you seemed to love me still (thanks!). I think we might be at the point in our friendship where our families could go camping together - there's nothing like seeing each other first thing in the morning after sweating all night in a tent!
You are always welcome at my house -- anytime day or night :)
I have a saying...if you come to visit me you are welcome anytime. If you come to see my house, please make an appointment.
Mike, the trick is to not announce yourself!
Cherie...not one bit irritated...just thankful it was only you and not Buddy too!! It isn't very often that I've been caught in my p.j.'s without a shower at 3 in the afternoon. However, you are welcome anytime...how about coming over at 3 a.m.? You'd catch me in my p.j.'s again, but you could certainly take over the 3 a.m. feeding!!
Kari,
With pleasure...I'm rested up now. I remember years of nights with little sleep. Your years of sleepless nights are just starting. I was half afraid that you might be taking a much needed nap. You need to sleep any chance that beautiful, little one will allow.
When I was in the midst of the baby years, they seemed like they would never end...but I whince when I think about my youngest turning 7 next month. Wow. Cherish even the sleepless nights!
my husband and i moved away from beautiful and hospitable people to live in an area of the country that is NOT known for its hospitality....
i miss that community from the past. we could walk into atleast a half-dozen other homes without knocking, and be greeted with squeals and hugs. here, its totally different... here we don't know where the other's homes are bc we meet up at starbucks....
but i'm thankful for the opportunities we have to revisit that community. hug familiar necks, see familiar faces, tell familiar stories.
they are still a blessing to me!
You are more than welcome to drop by anytime...we never do anything. I am still working on the hospitable thing, In fact, I'm still working on alot of things, LOL!!! I am a work in progress. See ya!
Bwaaahh, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!!! I had to come over to your site and comment again this morning in order to share what Craig just told me.... He said,
"Mom, I have something important to tell you...when you get up in the morning, you should get dressed and put play clothes on...just in case someone comes over, you won't have to run and change and then they leave before we open the door." !!!!
Ok...I'm going to go change now ;)
Julie...that is so funny!!!!
Julie I like your idea of our families going camping together. I love to camp...I just have one question....what's a tent?
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