Henri Nouwen, in his book, Reaching Out, refers to this space as hospitality. “Hospitality,” he says, “means primarily the creation of a free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place…It is not a method of making our God and our way into the criteria of happiness, but the opening of an opportunity to others to find their God and their way.” ... quote from Velvet Ashes blog. https://velvetashes.com/hospitality-as-sacred-space-the-grove-sacred-spaces/?fbclid=IwAR2Z8oQXtsYroq_UuC0R0zCcGpBW5h7laUa-vrHUOpqQT9aqAk8BacJVcbA
For Christmas, a colleague gave me a small plaque that says, “Do all things with great love.” I’m sure it sprang from a rich conversation we had. But moving forward into a new year, I am challenged to be more intentional about loving people well.
Another quote that has inspired me over the years, and still grabs me is this: “The most artistic thing we can do is love others.”
As a single woman, actual hospitality is a unique experience. Hosting and entertaining as one instead of several can be complicated, but it can be done. And it comes with a blessing. I was richly awed by the way our conversation touched my own heart as we savored a moment around the table. We don't just dump into others, but they also usually give back to us. We don't do it for that reason, but blessing others does pay forward and may just come full circle.
The hospitality that Henri talked about isn't always just the typical invite someone over type. It's being a friend anywhere.
So what are some bottom line essential pieces of being hospitable?
-confidentiality
-refusal to gossip
-being comfortable with your own story
-walking with the Spirit
-don't judge
It helps to educate ourselves about hearts and emotions, but if we can process our own story well, we can offer understanding in a far better way than all the wisdom of the world could teach us.
Someone said that people don't care what you know till they know how much you care about them. The foundation has to be love. Sometimes it's mixing hard truth with love, but always love. Do everything with love.
By-products of love include redemption, and healing. Love heals trauma. Medicine can't touch a heart, but love can.
We can't love on our own. But if we build our lives on the greatest commandment of loving God first, and then our neighbors, we will have the strength to be what God wants us to be.
