Hospitality....

Hospitality.....

I was looking at my prayer verses and following stood out .....
Romans 12:11-13
11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality...

"Hospitality-
: generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests : hospitable treatment

: the activity of providing food, drinks, etc. for people who are the guests or customers of an organization"

When I was growing up, we spent most every Sunday at my grandparents after church.  A roast, ham or  chicken was prepared for multiple families with potatoes, carrots and onion, baked slowly in the oven while we were at church. This was pre-crockpot days. Someone made a dessert and another, rolls, salad .... We may have played games  or watched a sport event...in the summer , we made homemade ice cream, hand cranked...plain vanilla to add our own flavors....I can still see one of my grandmothers sitting there reveling in her big bowl of ice cream....everyone pitched in to clean up and help one another....adults and children....

Later, we would host this at my parents home...everyone's birthday was celebrated with one another and all the major holidays...together with big casseroles, barbecues...

As I moved into my marriage and my homes, we lived a long way from family, so we made our own, having friends over nearly every Sunday, getting together for special occasions as well. We tried to get together as families whenever we can.  Everyone's life is busy and not as conducive to regular get togethers ....I miss that...and work schedules are very different ...

I notice that all of my children love hospitality as well and gather with friends, family when they can, now they are spread out in various parts of the area...

We also hosted missionaries who needed a place to stay  on their travels through our area...so much fun to hear about their lives in other parts of the world....and give them rest when we could..

Hospitality is shown from the beginning to the end of the Bible..from..God walking in the garden with Adam to the wedding feast of the believers...and all in between...

There is still a need for hospitality in our hectic world...being open to others, visitors, family..it may not look like it did a generation ago....but hospitality doesn't go out of fashion in one form or another...it is sharing  lives and love with one another...whether over a meal at home or out, or a cup of tea...a touch of friendship, life....

Thank YOU for family, the gift of hospitality, help me to extend to others what you freely extend to us....

Thank you, those who have been so much a part of our lives in hosting and being hosted...

Acts 28:7
There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days.

Romans 16:23
Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings.

1 Timothy 5:10
and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.

Hebrews 13:2
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

1 Peter 4:9
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

3 John 1:8
We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.