Thoughts on Hospitality

C.S. Lewis wrote that the best thing about staying home sick is that you get to read all day. I agree. Yesterday, I got to read a lot of Did I Kiss Marriage Goodbye? I read a long section on hospitality, and had plenty of time to really think about it. I love the way Barbara Hughes talks about hospitality in Disciplines of a Godly Woman. She takes hospitality out of the home and calls it what it really is-a heart issue. We can be inhospitable at church when we exclude someone from our lunch plans. We can show hospitality to a visitor or someone who's not part of our normal circle of friends by inviting them to join us at our favorite lunch spot. Hospitality is so much more than a clean home and good food. I've experienced much hospitality over the years, and I've also experienced much inhospitality. In both instances, the quality of the hospitality had nothing to do with the home or the food; it was entirely dependent on the heart of the host. Let us strive to have hospitable hearts.