"Every family should have the spirit of hospitality. Our homes and family are not to be built to bless ourselves, but as a place of mission to reach out from." Helen Lee (from the Focus on the Family radio broadcast)
"Hospitality is about not about how neat your house is or how perfect everything looks, its about an openness to building relationships with other people. That is what God is all about."
Woah!! That is so amazing to think about. Life is not about just my comfort and pleasure???
It should be about looking outward- what are the needs that our family can help with. How can God use us as a family, even my kids to make a difference to the world?
When I think about this I am thinking beyond hospitality but into the whole area of serving as a family. This is something I am challenged about, and my lame excuses are that my kids are too young, it's too hard, they can't do anything, they won't learn anything, we can't afford to go anywhere to do missions. I guess what God is saying to me is that there are lots of opportunities we aren't seeing because we aren't looking. Even in our church there are lots of new families who need someone to invite them over. Those families we meet at swimming lessons or know from the playground- what an opportunity to practice hospitality! Those relationships and opportunities aren't hard for me. In our community there is a womans and youth shelter, there is a soup kitchen, probably a dozen long term care facilities, and there is always something we could be doing if we look. I think I will begin to pray about opportunities God may have for our family.
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