This afternoon, I sit here in my living room enjoying the nice cool breeze coming through the windows. Unfortunately I also hear my youngest daughter breathing heavily from her room as well. She is home from school-not feeling well at all on such a gorgeous fall like day. Doesn't seem right...gorgeous outside and she's feeling so crummy. I share this with you only to let you know what's happening around me as I blog this a.m.
September is here and with this month always comes a mixed bag of "feelings" and "emotions" for me. Fall is my absolutely favorite season of the year and I feel doubly blessed that I had 2 "fall" babies-one born in September the other in October. That just adds a little more "sweetness" to fall for me. Those of you that know me, know that September is somewhat of a schizophrenic month for me, emotionally speaking. It is the month that I am most nostaglic. Certainly, December would fall in line second to it, but a close second. Given this is September, I will share my reasons for the nostalgia.
I already mentioned my girls birthday...my sweet Michaela LeighAnn was born on a Wednesday morning at 10:01 in Landstuhl, Germany on the 18th of September, 1996. She will be 15 in just less than 2 weeks-she is a sophomore in H.S.-meaning she only has a little under 3 years left at home before she spreads her wings and flies away into adulthood. Then there is of course the anniversary of 9/11...yes, this year will mark 10 years since our nation was brutally attacked by heathen in the name of "god", which of course we know is not THE God, just their God. Our God says vengeance belongs to Him. I know there will be many special honors and memorial services on this day given it is the 10 year anniversary. I'm sure we all remember exactly where we were at when we heard the news and were shocked that our nation could be attacked in such a horrific way.
For me, this September marks 10 years of something very different. 10 years without my Mom in my life. 10 years that time has marched on without the one woman in my life that gave of herself day in/day out. 10 years that my girls have not had their grandmother in their life to "spoil them". 10 years that my siblings/I have not had Mom to arrange all of those family dinners, b-day parties, and most def those HUGE Christmas extravaganzas. Yes, my life was changed very significantly 10 years ago on September 26th, just 6 short days after my Mom turned 50 (her b-day was September 20th), my Mother's journey w/us here, ended.
So, you may be asking, WHAT in the world does that have to do with the title of today's blog? Everything my dear reader, everything. My mother gave me so much and taught me so many valuable lessons during her brief time on this earth...but the biggest blessing she shared was the blessing of hospitality. I always look for things that God may be teaching me, reminding me of through the daily events of my life. This month of September, reminds me of all of the many things my Mom taught me/showed me as an example. I will use this month to "honor" her memory for all that she sacrificed and gave to me during her journey here as my mother. When I think of my Mom, so many things come to mind-but "hospitality" is the one word that can sum up so many of the things that she taught me. As I was sitting here this a.m., I listened to a sermon CD by brother Bruce Reeves and the topic was "The blessing of hospitality". As I listened to the sermon, I felt tears crawl down my cheeks and fill my eyes. I didn't try to suppress them, I just listened intently, took in the moment and allowed the memories to flood my mind/heart/soul. You see, my Mom embodied hospitality. She was a living, breathing, example to all who were blessed to have her in their lives. As I listened to brother Reeves I just thought..."that was my Mom". Then I thought about all of the ways I have been "blessed" by hospitality myself over my time as an adult. I have LOADS of memories from my childhood of ways that I was blessed with hospitality. So, I sat there thinking...if I were to leave this life at age 50 (just a few short years away for me now), would my children also think of "me" when they hear a sermon on hospitality? What legacy am I leaving my children? What will they remember about me? Will it be something of eternal significance, or will it be just something frivolous and of no real consequence/benefit to anyone else? I pray it is the former-I want my life to "matter", I want my life to have significance...but not just any significance-I want it to have "eternal" significance. I want my life to glorify God. I want it to be a "blessing" to others.
Memories of times past flooded my heart...times in my own adult life that I've been blessed by hospitality. What I found was that I have been most blessed when I have shared hospitality with others. I suppose it's true for most of us that we grow/mature the most when we are the one "sharing" something with another. I grew the most as a student of the bible when I've taught others myself. I also grow the most in "hospitality" when I share it with others in numerous ways. Hospitality is not merely the "sharing of a meal" or "opening of your home", it is a lifestyle of being available for others in whatever ways needed at the time. It is reaching others "where they are" and "esteeming others more highly than ourselves." True hospitality is not merely the sharing among friends/family-quite the contrary-it is opening yourself to "strangers". It is being "vulnerable", "available", all of the things that our society sees as "weak". When is the last time you heard someone suggest that you not engage in some of the many wonderful activities available to us in our modern society so that you could be of service to someone else? One of the huge problems in society today is the emphasis on self. This is in direct opposition to what Jesus Christ taught/lived while on this earth. Jesus was always available for others and put himself last. He even said we must "empty ourselves", "deny ourselves", "the first shall be last and the last shall be first." One thing I can say about my mother-she put others before herself. Often to the detriment of her own health and in the end, this is what took her life. My mother's "desire" to do for others, be available for others, just keep going on less/less sleep, whatever it took...she was willing and she DID sacrifice. Sacrifice---another term not very popular in our pc culture. The idea that we would give anything up for another's well being. I am so grateful to my Mom for being a living example of what that meant. I am thankful to God for placing me in a home where I learned what true hospitality is because it was lived on a daily basis. That one thing has been absolutely invaluable to my spiritual life as an adult. I have been able to "see the trees" and not just the forest, understand what real "priorities" are, and just extract every precious moment I can and pepper it with "hospitality".
I thought I might share some ways I pray that hospitality is reflected in my daily life. I don't share these things to pat myself on the back or receive accolades, only that I may fondly remember the blessings I've received and thereby give God the glory/thanks for each and every one of them.
When I first became a Christian in 1988, my husband/I were blessed to have a young preacher/his family show us ongoing hospitality. They opened their LIVES to us...they included us when their family went to gospel meetings, out to eat, on trips, etc... They helped us feel like there was a "place" that we belonged and that place was the family of God. It was my first experience, outside of my own home, with true hospitality. They became our "family" and made us understand our place in this new "family". What a fantastic living biblical example we had and it is due to this early "connection" in the family of God, that we are able to now share our life so openly with others.
When we moved to NC in 1991, my husband/I decided we were going to "implement" some of the things we had learned from their example. It was during our 4 years here that God, again, gave us provision to learn and build on the foundation of hospitality we had already witnessed. We were now the ones being "called on" to reach out to others, share with others, encourage others, etc...What an amazing 4 years that was. Truly "utopic" in a sense...especially when it came to hospitality. It was no longer "limited" in its scope where just a few families were available/inclusive...but now, we were witnessing an entire congregation of people so involved in one another's lives that there was little "time" for any of those "outside" activities that so often distract Christians from sharing life together. We WERE each others activity-there were times that we were so involved in one another's lives that we often couldn't find a spare moment to fit in just one more "visit" or "bible study", etc...it was an amazingly encouraging time and preparing my family for even greater service in the kingdom of God.
By the time we moved to Germany in 1995, we had a "reputation" for being "that" family that would always be there to encourage, rebuke, exhort, love...whatever was needed. It reminded me of Paul and the way that he would specifically send "letters" to various congregations to let them know of another's reputation for the work they were doing (or not doing) for the Lord. I would often set back and think, "Wow, how did we get here?" It all seemed like such a natural progression...absolutely "burden free" and just a part of who we were becoming. Interestingly enough, that's how it's supposed to be. Growing up in Christ is a daily progression/journey...one step at a time you go from "milk" to "meat". We were once the ones strictly receiving edification/encouragement/blessing through hospitality of another...now we were the ones giving it.
When we returned from Germany, we were blessed to be a part of a fairly new congregation that was still in the "Honeymoon" days of the excitement of a new work for God in the local community and there was so much love/joy that came from just being together as Christians. We were together frequently as a whole group and as small groups as well. There were a lot of home bible studies, there were monthly get togethers for the women and all of the members, ladies bible classes in homes, special parties/events...not quite as "time" consuming as our time in NC had been because many of the women in Arkansas worked outside the home during the day. In NC, the women were always together during the day...so it indeed felt like hospitality was "around the clock". It was during this time, that my Mom passed away. Hospitality was shown (by our preacher) when he drove out of his way and showed up at my Dad's home with a bucket of chicken to offer his sympathy and tell of his love for my husband/I/our family. Again, we were the ones being blessed.
While living in England, my family opened our home to the brethren once a month on a Saturday. We were blessed to live "in the country" and oh how the brethren loved to make the monthly trek to the "farm" to spend the day with us there. Some of the blessings shared among just 25 people each month are a huge part of what keeps me motivated today to press on toward that goal of eternal life. We were blessed to share life with brethren of different cultures, share food from different cultures, share experiences with different cultures, etc...during that time. The one foundational thing that kept each of us returning each month, for 3 years...was our fervent love for the Lord and one another. It didn't matter that we were "different". The only thing that mattered was how "precious" it was that we were so VERY different, yet could be unified and have no greater desire than to serve the Lord together/spend every precious moment we could together during our short time together. It is a blessing that I will NEVER forget. So many "thanked" us for our hospitality, but we were the ones that were blessed. They offered US hospitality each month just by "making time" to come spend the day with us. I do pray that is a lesson that other Christians I know will have the blessing of learning before eternity. The "blessing" of sacrificing time, money, convenience, whatever is necessary to spend time with their brethren demonstrating love. Also during our time in England, I thought about the various gospel preachers that stayed in our home during their weeks stay during lectureships that were held there. We were the ones BLESSED to have the opportunity to open our home, sit with them and share in their spiritual successes/struggles in endeavoring to preach the gospel there in the UK. My girls were blessed to have opportunity to "give up" their rooms, sleep on the floor, help prepare meals, forego one of their activities for a brief time...whatever was necessary to spend this brief time together with brethren that have dedicated their life to serving the Lord in full time ministry.
Since our return to Arkansas this time, the dynamics of our lives have changed. The biggest blessing of hospitality that we've experienced during our time here was the mission trip to Mexico in '08. It is incredibly impressive to witness the hospitality among the "youngest" of those in the congregation there...even 2 year olds are taught to "welcome" those into the church. We are thankful for our friends that extended the "invitation" to our family to go work for the Lord for 2 weeks in Mexico. It was a life changing experience and hospitality was "lived out" for the entire 2 weeks that all 20 of us were together. Our youngest obeyed Christ, in baptism, during our time in Mexico...something that we never could have suspected would happen. I know that much of the "reason" for that final decision was that she saw the love/hospitality of brethren being "lived out" during our time there. It's hard to "resist" that type of love, that love is of God:) Our youngest daughter now has a group of Christian friends that meet monthly in our home to spend time studying the word of God, playing games, sharing books they've read, etc... Just "doing life" together as a young support group for one another. We even visited shuts ins, as a group. It's so important for these young people to know that they are important and their contribution is invaluable to the kingdom. They don't have/need to WAIT to grow up to love others for the Lord, they can do it now. Now, we also find that our college aged daughter is being "blessed" weekly by the hospitality of a Christian family. She has been given the "key" to their house, been welcomed into their every day life, spends entire Sundays with their family, etc... This past weekend-hospitality really reared its head when I welcomed 3 out of state Christian college students into our home for the holiday. These young people have become a part of our lives over the last 4years at youth camp. Only one of the 3 is from a "Christian" home, the others have obstacles to their faith even from their own home life. It was such an enormous blessing to hear one of the young men (who has only been a Christian for a year and a half) say a prayer of blessing for our b'fast and also to lead a devotional song for us on Sunday evening. The spiritual growth/maturity I've seen in these young people over the time I've known them is nothing less than astounding. They were so incredibly gracious guests...effortless to have them because of the "bond" we all share. They kept repeating how much fun they had, how much they appreciate the hospitality...the truth is-my life is SO blessed because of these young people. I am a better person, I love more deeply, I am more forgiving, I am more longsuffering, all because I have the blessing of being a part of these young people's lives and just a small part in helping them along this journey of life. There is absolutely NOTHING I would trade for our time together. I'm glad that I don't "schedule" every moment of my day. I'm thankful that every moment that is "scheduled" is for the "better" part....just like Jesus told Martha..."Mary has chosen the better". It wasn't that what Martha was doing was wrong...preparing a meal for Jesus and his disciples was a "good" work...but a "better" thing was being available to hear Jesus message. Time is the most precious commodity in our modern day and it has a high price tag. I'm thankful that I had a mother that taught me to squeeze EVERY moment from a minute...to use time "wisely", making sure my schedule is filled with things of significance. It's SO easy to get caught up in just "busy-ness", but oh how much it means to someone just to be available to "listen", encourage, remind them of scripture that is applicable, etc...
I will conclude by mentioning the biggest blessing I've found in hospitality....that hospitality is the hospitality I show God each day. Yes, even God desires my hand of hospitality. I do my best to give it to Him by offering my life a "living sacrifice" every day. I offer it to Him through the time I spend alone with Him every day...most especially my time early in the a.m. when the house is "still"...that is my time to obey His command/extend my hand (heart) of hospitality and "be still and know that He is God." Such an important concept. Lest I leave anyone with the impression that I understand hospitality to be just a VERB...it is not strictly a "doing" word. The greatest lesson my mother taught me about hospitality...it is a "being" word...it is WHO YOU ARE. I pray that I will always BE hospitable, most especially to my Creator, God. For certainly if my heart is open to Him, it will in turn be to others. I am so thakful for the greatest hospitality ever extended to me...the hospitality of God through offering His Son, Jesus Christ, that I may have forgiveness of my sins/hope for eternal life if I will obey Him. Now that was a sacrifice...and hospitality can never be offered without sacrifice. Until next time, may we each sacrifice something for another in the coming days ahead and most of all, may we give our lives a "living sacrifice" of hospitality by opening our hearts to God.
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