Hospitality Lesson

I had Lukas at an indoor playground the other day and could not help over-hearing a conversation happening next to me. The ladies had apparently gone to some meeting at their church where the speaker was discussing hospitality. There was one simple message I heard them repeat that will probably stick with me forever.

The goal of hospitality is the other person. If someone stops by unexpectedly and all you can think about is your messy house than you have missed the point. Thinking about your messy house is self-focused because you are worried about how you look to other people. True hospitality is more concerned with the person visiting and making sure they are taken care of.

Ouch.

How often am I super-obsessed with trying to get my house look perfect when people are coming over. Its not that trying to have a clean house is bad at all. BUT the moment that person enters the door it is to be about them, not about how I feel about myself. If I’m worn out or stressed out from house-cleaning I have passed a limit. This is something I will be thinking about every time I get in a bad mood because I can’t get my house into the perfection I want it to be.