Hospitality Week: Hospitality How To's From a Pro

Is there any other time of the year when more entertaining takes place??  Well, with that in mind, I thought I would dedicate this week to the theme of HOSPITALITY!

So, Today is Day 1 and

Welcome To Hospitality Week!

All this week I will share with you encouragement, ideas, interviews and timely tips that will help you hop in and feel at home showing hospitality, but also remind us of the eternal value of hospitality, from a Scriptural point of view.  Some of the ideas and posts will be reminders (but who doesn't need to be reminded?) and others will be completely new to you, but this will be a fun week, so keep on coming back, you won't want to miss anything!

Today, I want to encourage you!  And, if you are a mom of many, you'll especially want to "listen up" as I interview Lynn, mom to 11!  However, everyone will learn something about hospitality, because she is a "hospitality pro."  Since the time the Lord graciously brought her into my life 16 years ago, I have been learning from her, and I look forward to introducing her to you and allowing you to glean some wisdom from her on a topic near and dear to our hearts:  hospitality.  Let's begin:

Faith's Firm Foundation:  "Are there any verses in the Bible that have guided or influenced you in showing hospitality?"
Lynn:  "Romans 12:13--"Given to hospitality."  Romans 12 was one of my first chapters that I had memorized, so I was greatly influenced by its instructions."

Romans 12:9-13--"Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. (10) Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; (11) Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; (12) Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; (13) Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality."

FFF:  "What are the most important things you would tell someone about practicing hospitality?"
Lynn:  "Showing warmth and excitement about your guests being in your home is more important than your home's cleanliness or how fancy your food is.  Learn some quick and easy meals to serve.  Work to have an "In-Home" store so you have ingredients and supplies on hand.  Clean your home for yourself--not for company, necessarily.  Work at maintaining an orderly home where there is a schedule of cleaning throughout the week.  Then your home will always be in fairly good order.  Then you can be impromptu to invite people over or if they happen to stop by you can ask them to stay.  Last of all, regarding hospitality:  "Just do it."  The more you do it the more comfortable it becomes."

FFF:  "What do you think is the purpose of hospitality--why is it important?"
Lynn:  "The purpose of hospitality is to show the love of Christ.  With that, hospitality brings many more personal rewards.  One major reward is learning to think of others.  We are all naturally self-centered.  Hospitality forces you to become focused on others, which is a discipline to learn.  'Hospitality may come easy to you, but not me' is just an excuse.  You can learn and it is a command from the Lord.  View your home, possessions, time as things to be used up for others.  The scratch on the table is a reminder of your grandchild being with you.  The worn-out rugs mean many people have walked through your doors.  I'm desirous to have my home wear out because of use, which involves people--eternal souls God has brought into my life."

FFF:  "How do you/did you do it with a big family--make it affordable--work out where to put people, etc."
Lynn:  "We have 11 children, 10 boys and 1 girl.  The oldest is 29 years old and the youngest is 10 years old.  All our children help in the kitchen.  My daughter was 5th born so our sons had to help.  Our sons know what it takes to make a meal--therefore they can really appreciate efforts of others showing hospitality towards them.  Teach your children how to greet people, to offer a guest something to drink (water, coffee, tea).  Teach them how to make coffee, how to set a table, how to carry on a conversation.  Crowded is OK.  People will feel included, so don't worry about a small home.  Use simple menus."

FFF:  "You mentioned rewards earlier, but what are other rewards and blessings of being hospitable? What would you say to encourage others?"
Lynn:  "The rewards are:  meeting so many people and they leave our home as 'friends.'  We love to hear how our guests became Christians and about their walk with the Lord.  These testimonies encourage our own children in their faith."


Aren't you encouraged to practice hospitality? I am!
Edited and reprinted from an earlier post.