HOSPITALITY ON THE GO

PART THREE

HOSPITALITY ON THE GO

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

Have you ever known someone with the gift of hospitality? They are the first to invite the new neighbors for dinner. They are always hosting showers or luncheons or small group gatherings.

When I hear the word hospitality, I think of my sister Linda. Her home is warm and inviting. There is something about the very atmosphere that smoothes away the cares of the day and soothes weary bones and harried hearts. I always thought her gift and her home were inseparable – until James.

Linda knelt next to James. She spoke soothing words to him. I studied my sister’s eyes. They were filled with deep compassion as she continued speaking to James. It was as if I peered into my sister’s heart and the doors opened wide to welcome James.

It was there, along the road, under a vast canopy of stars, I realized that the gift of hospitality God had so richly blessed my sister with was not bound by walls or contained under a roof. Nor was it reserved for the clean, the eloquent of speech or the well dressed – it was for anyone God placed in her path. The gift was skillfully woven into the very fabric of her heart by God Himself, and it went wherever she did.

Let’s stop at Roman’s 12:6-8. What gift has God given you? How has God used your gift to minister to someone else? Your gift is not meant to be hidden on a shelf at home. It is meant to go wherever you go, always ready to be poured out for the benefit of others and God’s glory. It is a gift on the go.

An original Conversations at the Well

Copyright by Diana Morgan March 29, 2011