More on Hospitality

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If you haven't figured it out by now, I like a little discussion on hospitality. It's an art that many people are really missing out on. So every once in awhile you get the joy of reading my ramblings on hospitality.

I have a new friend, whom I feel as though I've known forever but in truth we are just met each other last fall. She homeschools, so do I. She loves Jesus, so do I. She has a passion for the nations, duh, so do I. Her kids love my kids. My kids love hers. We're a match. She's even renovating her house. We all know that my house is a zinger of a renovation.

Now, for all my big talk on "who cares what your house looks like, it's all about the heart" stuff, I'm going to reveal to you what was going on in my mind before she came. Immediately,  the normal insecurities began rearing their ugly heads a few days before her arrival. Um, the so called family room doesn't have a ceiling. The one bathroom that we are working on has mini holes and walls to be painted. The other bathroom is so scary that we never open the door to it.  The dining room, does not have a ceiling or a floor. No joke! My bedroom has mismatched everything in it, including lamp shades. The steps outside to our house is a maze, with a possible fall on your face trip over things if you aren't careful. Our outside lawn has plenty of leftovers from the previous owners. The confession here: Only my closest friends have been over so far.

But, since I believe wholeheartedly in breaking bread together, I didn't want to miss the opportunity of loving on others because my house isn't perfect. So, I took a deep breath and invited her over, hoping that she could look past the imperfections and see the vision we have for the house. Of course, we had a great time together, making fresh mango salsa, discussing in depth homeschooling matters, drinking coffee and watching our children play. It was refreshing and fun and totally worth it.

My point is this, even those of us who are so called, "born with the gift of hospitality" get worried and insecure over the house, the food, the conversation, and just about anything else. Nobody has it all together. I'm telling you, we all have our own issues, worries, and things that could hold us back from loving someone else. It's worth it, to push past those moments and be vulnerable enough to have people into your home. They will be blessed. You will be blessed.