Hospitality
I went to my friend Stephanie's house tonight to craft with her for an hour or so and being there reminded me of why hospitality is so important.
I love going to her house. Whenever I go, she always makes me feel special. She had candles lit around the house. She made tea and served it in pretty tea cups. She had gorgeous napkins laid out. She didn't spend hours in the kitchen either to do this. She served oreos but had them on a pretty little plate.
The best part is that I can take off my shoes and curl up on one of her chairs and just be myself. We talk about all sorts of things and I always come away with a sense of contentment and peace.
It is so easy to fall into the trap of having to "entertain" people. How often have I run around trying to make the perfect meal? I've often spent hours cleaning the house from top to bottom and generally making my family miserable in the process. There have been so many times that I feel I have to get up and down and do something when we do have company. Yet most guests just want to spend time with me and feel like they have my undivided attention.
Hospitality is about making people feel comfortable and letting them feel like spending time with them is the most important thing you have to do at that moment. No one likes to feel like they are an inconvenience or they made a lot of work for someone.
Stephanie has really mastered this. I'm working on it and I'm learning that I don't have to serve the fanciest meal or have the cleanest house in order to be a good hostess.
Terri,
ReplyDeleteThank you for such a wonderful post! I have just been thinking of hospitality myself and was looking at my copy of the book Open Heart Open Home the other night. It is something I really want to work on! Hospitality is so important in the work of the church.
Blessings,
Sharon
I get in such a flap about people coming over! What will they think? Will they think I'm a bad housekeeper. Well, they'd be right! Some people just seem to have entertaining sorted and do it a lot. I guess it just takes practice, and maybe a few cookies in a tin and some pretty china. I am determined to be good at it one day! XXX
ReplyDeleteps. would love to have you over, so consider this an invitation if you are ever over my way!
Sharon, I love that book! I find that you can be hospitable, even when you're not home. Dan & I found that making people feel comfortable at church is a form of hospitality.
ReplyDeletePoppy, if I'm ever in New Zealand, I will most certainly stop by. LOL!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post Terri. You're so right, it's not about putting on a perfect performance, but just being 'real' and allowing people to feel relaxed and at home with us.
ReplyDeleteWe all try too hard sometimes I think. We should be ourselves more and then others wouldn't feel like they have to have a perfect home when we visit them in return.
Life is so simple, yet we all complicate things so often...me included.
Thanks for this Terri, you've blessed me today.
Love, Tina :)
Tina,
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly right. If I work so hard to have a perfect home and I'm tense then it's going to be really hard for people to want to have us over. Especially, if they feel they have to compete!
Terri,
ReplyDeleteYou just hit the nail on the head! What is important is people and your relationship with them. When you can make someone feel like you were made to feel "comfortable and at peace" that is the whole secret to relationships...just being made to feel like your in your own home and you are just enjoying the company of another friend.
I have not experienced that in a long time until I started taking voice lessons. This person is a christian woman and she wanted her ministry of music to be one that honored God so when I came to take my lessons, she wanted us to discuss each week before the lesson "who we are in Christ", The twelve points from the "Bondage Breaker" by Neil Anderson. Well, in the process of doing that, we have begun to share who we are in Christ and as the weeks go by, we spend more and more time just sharing and my 1/2 hr. lesson today lasted for an hour and a half. This girl is half my age but she is such a blessing to me because I can be open with her and "just be myself"! Great Post!! Thanks for sharing that with us! LOL
Mom
That sounds like you found a real blessing in this woman, Mom. That is wonderful!
ReplyDeleteLove your new floral background Terri! SO pretty!
ReplyDeleteLove, Tina :)
Hey Terri, I love your new page. So cute! How did you do that?
ReplyDeleteI am really enjoying all of your posts lately! I can always count on you to have something uplifting to brighten my day. THANKS!
Thank you, Tina & Michelle. I do love the new background. It feels so pretty and springy!
ReplyDeleteMichelle, I emailed you and thank you for your encouraging words.
Thank you Terri-that made me feel special and like Im not always a running around like a crazy person. I am glad you enjoyed yourself. Stephanie
ReplyDelete