If you are visiting me today because you read the Encouragement for Today devotion, welcome! If you haven’t read the devotion and want to here it is http://www.proverbs31.org/devotions/midst-dirty-dishes-2012-09/
I’ve always had a hard time being perfect like other people—I guess it just wasn’t my calling. So, when I visited the missionary mentioned in the devotion today I was more than pleased to meet someone who didn’t have a perfect kitchen but had the sweetest gift of hospitality–and brought many to Christ in it.
I’ll never forget this one time years ago. . . I worked so hard to be perfect for a women’s planning committee that was coming to my house for the first time. The day came; the house was immaculate, the food I prepared gourmet, the atmosphere serene, our five daughters wore matching dresses with aprons and their hair all curled in ringlets.
The ladies arrived and the luncheon went perfect. Not one detail failed me. As I cleaned up the table the ladies finalized plans for their next meeting and it was concluded.
All 5 daughters were perfect angels and my hosting etiquette flawless!
A month passed, and one early morning there was a knock at the kitchen door. I wasn’t dressed to open the door, but they could see me standing there—you can’t just run at this point. It was the ladies planning committee! I had been so busy at the last meeting that I missed the plans for our next meeting—at MY house!
I graciously welcomed them in. I stood there without make up on or my hair brushed. They walked through the kitchen; the sink was stacked with dishes and the trash full and rolling over into the floor. About that time my three youngest children ran through the kitchen in a parade like fashion. They only had their underwear on and had drawn with ink pens all over their bodies. They were strutting their new art work for our guests.
About that time I gathered my humility off the floor, gracefully led our beloved children to the bathroom to clean up and asked the company to make themselves comfortable.
The committee actually had a wonderful visit that day, even though everything wasn’t PERFECT! We laughed, cried, prayed for one another, we ate together and praised God together. It was actually the perfect visit.
Entertaining isn’t about our house, our decorating, our cooking or how perfect our children are. Hospitality is when you open your home to all those who come, invited and uninvited and minister the love of Christ no matter what your circumstances are. The Lord fills our home with His presence and ministry becomes the sweetest fragrance when we surrender our human abilities for His supernatural ones.
Our kids are all grown now. This past weekend they were home and they brought guests with them. We all sat around the table, prayed and talked. One guest later said to our daughter, “I’ve never been to a home like yours, sharing Christ and fellowshipping with one another, it was the sweetest!”
Um the sweet secret to hospitality is found in the scripture I gave in the Encouragement for Today devotion,I Peter 4:7-11. Have fervent love for one another.. . Be hospitable to one another. . .if anyone ministers, let him (her)do it with the ability which God supplies; that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the doominion forevery and ever, Amen.
I promised you 3 recipes in the devotion today.
The missionary made us wonderful pancakes, here is the recipe: http://sharonglasgow.com/2012/09/best-pancake-recipe/
At her luncheon she made coddled eggs for the guests. I’ve added coddled eggs to a wonderful brunch salad http://sharonglasgow.com/2012/09/the-ultimate-brunch-coddled-eggs-maple-glazed-bacon-crumbled-cheese-candied-pecans-and-fried-potato-salad/
And for dinner she made Orange Chicken http://sharonglasgow.com/2012/09/orange-chicken/
Thank you Stella! I love you!
