“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2)
I don’t know about you, but I’m not a very good hostess. I never have extra food for company, I can only offer water or milk on most days, and I always feel like I’m more awkward than warm, even with those I’m closest to. I’m pretty sure my home is not clean or neat enough, either.
What is it about hosting another person in our homes that makes us so tense? And are our insecurities and worries even important?
While there are born hostesses among us, there are also women like me who dread having people over. But the things that hold me back from opening my door to friends, family, and even strangers are so inconsequential in comparison to what the act of hospitality accomplishes.
Making someone feel like part of your family. Allowing them to see the “real” you, cereal crumbs in the couch cushions and all. Giving them the chance to rest in a warm, safe place. Letting them know that you care for them, and are more than just a Monday-through-Friday “work friend.”
Extending hospitality can make all the difference in a person’s life. Can you remember a time when you were welcomed over for a cup of coffee and it brightened your day? Or you shared lunch with someone and had the chance to get to know them in a way you otherwise wouldn’t have?
Hospitality doesn’t have to mean opening up your home to a stranger for an extended stay, though it can. It can be as simple as offering something to the homeless man standing at the intersection. It could be paying for the order of the car behind you in the drive thru. Or it could be listening kindly to the stories of your elderly neighbor who has few visitors anymore.
You very well might be entertaining angels.
Have a beautiful Monday!
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