The more time I am here the more I am learning that what I thought was hospitality is not true hospitality. In America I thought it was fun to hostess-ie- plan an event, set a date and time, cook, decorate, entertain...by invitation...but I have come to learn that this is not hospitality in its fullest form. I have learned from two weeks of observing people that true hospitality is unexpected, spontaneous, flexible...
Imagine it is 4:00pm and you have just started preparing things to cook dinner (which takes a long time because it is all from scratch) and there is a knock at the door from guests who plan to stay and talk a while. What do you do? Or the kicker, what do you think in your heart? Hospitality stops what you are doing and gives full attention to your guest, meeting their needs, getting them water, chai, snacks, and then sitting with them to talk. Hospitality never looks at the clock to think, "oh I wish they would leave soon so that I could get dinner cooked". Hospitality keeps offering more. So at 5:30 or 6 when your guests leave it is finally time to cook dinner, and a 6 o'clock meal becomes an 8 o'clock meal... (This is a true story)
I have observed this a lot over the past few weeks. An unexpected visitor will come to the door- they are invited in and offered water, snacks, chai, and full attention is given to them. It doesn't matter what is on the to-do-list, right now your guest is your priority. The past two weeks I have been a guest in other people's homes and I have certainly observed true hospitality. Not only do they let us stay in their homes for free but they serve us with happy hearts. Our national hostess prepared food early just for us because she knew we weren't used to eating at 9:30, she did our laundry (even though I tried to do it myself), helped make special food for Silas, and the couple gave up their bedroom for us so that we could have an a/c and western toilet. And they didn't seem to begrudge it at all.
I am learning that much of my time here is going to be spent being hospitable. Taking time to be ready for whoever comes our way, planning my day in such a way that I can be flexible, teaching my heart to not have an agenda but to just love people. I am also finding that my schedule would be less interupted if I adjust to local time of eating. Then I wouldn't have to worry about people coming over while I am cooking dinner during the local tea/visiting time. But it is a big adjustment and something we will have to figure out with our family. Anyway, I so want my heart to be right in hospitality and not just my actions.
Imagine it is 4:00pm and you have just started preparing things to cook dinner (which takes a long time because it is all from scratch) and there is a knock at the door from guests who plan to stay and talk a while. What do you do? Or the kicker, what do you think in your heart? Hospitality stops what you are doing and gives full attention to your guest, meeting their needs, getting them water, chai, snacks, and then sitting with them to talk. Hospitality never looks at the clock to think, "oh I wish they would leave soon so that I could get dinner cooked". Hospitality keeps offering more. So at 5:30 or 6 when your guests leave it is finally time to cook dinner, and a 6 o'clock meal becomes an 8 o'clock meal... (This is a true story)
I have observed this a lot over the past few weeks. An unexpected visitor will come to the door- they are invited in and offered water, snacks, chai, and full attention is given to them. It doesn't matter what is on the to-do-list, right now your guest is your priority. The past two weeks I have been a guest in other people's homes and I have certainly observed true hospitality. Not only do they let us stay in their homes for free but they serve us with happy hearts. Our national hostess prepared food early just for us because she knew we weren't used to eating at 9:30, she did our laundry (even though I tried to do it myself), helped make special food for Silas, and the couple gave up their bedroom for us so that we could have an a/c and western toilet. And they didn't seem to begrudge it at all.
I am learning that much of my time here is going to be spent being hospitable. Taking time to be ready for whoever comes our way, planning my day in such a way that I can be flexible, teaching my heart to not have an agenda but to just love people. I am also finding that my schedule would be less interupted if I adjust to local time of eating. Then I wouldn't have to worry about people coming over while I am cooking dinner during the local tea/visiting time. But it is a big adjustment and something we will have to figure out with our family. Anyway, I so want my heart to be right in hospitality and not just my actions.
1 comment:
thanks for sharing; we can all learn from that kind of hospitality
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