Hospitality.  To me, this word is always associated with “cooking,” which I loathe.  If I didn’t have to keep other humans alive, I’d probably eat cereal and peanut butter sandwiches every single day.  So, pretty much, I’d rather do anything else than cook.  Do your laundry?  Sure.  Take care of your little human?  Can do!   Manual labor?  Check!  Cook?  No, thank you.

In this week’s talk, we looked at God’s word and many examples of hospitality.

  We are called to love our neighbor.  Our neighbor is anyone and everyone, particularly those not in your tribe.  If we see a need, God asks us to meet those needs.  We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  We are called to give of our time, talents and treasures. We particularly focused on inviting people into our lives.

I cannot be the only Jesus-follower that bristles at the idea of cooking?  So, how do we anti-chefs show hospitality to others?  I do not have a problem opening my house to others.  I have hosted many a baby shower and party, where I do not have to cook, or it is potluck so I’m not in charge of all of the food.  I’ve also let other people host parties (for mutual friends) here because we have the space.  I can clean and decorate all day long. 

How can I be hospitable in other ways?  I can be hospitable with my time.  I can make time for others.  That could look like meeting someone for coffee and spending time with them.  I can use my words.  I can send texts to others, checking in and seeing how they are doing.  There’s nothing like a friendly hello to brighten someone’s day.  I know I appreciate those check-ins.  I can step up and step in when there’s a tangible need.  I can offer a smile and a greeting to a stranger.  I can make the extra step to offer help when a request hasn’t been asked.

Maybe you are burnt out.  Maybe you are stretched too thin right now.  You do not have the bandwidth to reach out. You. Are. Tired.  However, you may have enough energy to pray for others?  Sometimes we, (I), don’t feel as if that is “enough.”  But prayer is so powerful.  I am always comforted when I know someone is praying for me. In James 5:16b, he reminds us, “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”  

In the mean time, I can pray for God to make me not hate cooking so much or even more miraculous, to actually like cooking.  Oh, and for the record, I can cook and well, I just don’t want to.  If you missed Sunday’s talk or want to watch it again, click here.