Hebrews 13:1-2 - Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!
It is hard to open your house to others and for some it is hard to go to someone else’s house. But the Bible tells us not to forget to show hospitality.
But luckily there are different ways of doing that. For example, I like to meet people at a coffee shop. I feel like that is a pretty relaxing place and there are no distractions of the house there. But it doesn’t matter where we are meeting, what matters is that we are open and inviting and then of course making people feel comfortable.
I’ve got a great story to share in the next break so stick around right now let’s get back to some music.
"‘Kristin Schell is the founder of The Turquoise Table, a movement of ordinary people who want to create community right in their own front yards. Ten years ago, she and her husband and their four children moved to a new home in Austin, Texas.
Kristin knew God had given her the gift of hospitality, and she tried to connect with her new neighbors by hosting Bible studies and playgroups. But those activities required planning ahead and coordinating schedules, not to mention cooking and cleaning.
One day, Kristin needed backyard furniture for a party and bought a few picnic tables from Lowe’s. The delivery driver set one table down in her front yard by mistake, and Kristin couldn’t get the image out of her head. “After the party, I painted the table turquoise—my favorite color—and put it in the front yard, just a few feet from the sidewalk,” she says.
That turquoise table became the place where Kristin and her kids hung out. Activities they used to do at the kitchen table, they now did out front at the picnic table. They played games, did crafts and ate snacks. “We got intentional about where we spent our time,” Kristin says. “We became ‘front yard people.’”
Neighbors began to stop by to introduce themselves and sit down for a chat. Kristin invited people to join her at the table for coffee or iced tea. “It was a simple way to slow down and connect with others,” she says. The turquoise table was inviting and had a communal feel.
She does this because people often hesitate to invite others into their homes. They think their house is too messy, it’s not big enough or they don’t have enough time. “Our perfectionism can cause us to miss out on the joy of connecting with others,” Kristin says. Her picnic table takes away the excuses—and the pressure.
“I’ve learned that hospitality doesn’t always mean entertaining people with a meal or a big party. At the picnic table, all I have to do is show up.” She likes how it enables her to take a small step toward easing loneliness and building relationships in her community. “People’s greatest need is to know that they are loved and that they belong,” she says.’"
1 Peter 4:8-9 - Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.
When we are welcoming someone, it really can put them at ease and hospitality is about loving people and caring for them. So, you don’t need to get caught up in the way your house is and compare all you have to others. That makes your self-conscience and the whole mood feel uncomfortable and that is not what we want to remember. What we want remembered and what will be remembered is you and how you loved and welcomed someone.