Hospitality

As I was cleaning the other day, I found myself getting very irritable. 

Do you ever have those times when you go to clean or do a project around your home and you start seeing all the other things that need attention?

I admit that this overwhelms me some days!  I think, "Wow, all I feel like I do is clean, but still filth is everywhere and how does this stuff get broken and when do they do this and...and...and...are you kidding me???"

I live with five males.  I don't think any of them notice what I notice. Three of them are young and they don't really equate things to money like I would like!  They don't quite see the "big deal" about water rings on tables or carpet that hasn't been vacuumed and is accumulating dust!

I have made A LOT of progress in letting some of this go and relaxing, but I will be honest and say that I often dread cleaning anything for I know I will get extremely bothered by what I see!

Now, just so you understand, I'm not some haughty, uppity, snob who has a million-dollar estate with designer furniture and knick-knacks! We are a "typical" (I guess) middle-class family, who lives on a budget and buys most things on sale!

I have spent time in third-world countries witnessing true poverty unlike anything I have seen around the United States.  I know well that because I have a vehicle and clean water, I am among the top 8% of the richest people in the world! 

That makes me feel utterly grateful and  yet terribly guilty at the same time.  

I have went through seasons of severe depression trying to reconcile what I have seen others live in and what God has given me when I return from mission trips.

That has all helped me to relax and let uptight worries go in my beautiful, well-built, warm and spacious home.  However, I am human and stuff still gets to me.  

I think in a way, seeing the poverty I've seen has made me more frustrated as far as trying to get my sons to understand that we should be good stewards because we have been given so much.

My husband and I believe with all our hearts that the only reason we are blessed with any of this is TO BE  a blessing to others.  We have had multiple people live with us over the years and will continue to do so as God directs us.  

We have purposefully decided we will not hoard, be greedy, or turn anyone in need away if we have it to give and God says that is good ground in which to sow.

We will also not live in fear of giving because the Word says, "GIVE and it shall be given to you..."  We realize we cannot "out-give" God!

But as I was cleaning the other day and finding all kinds of things falling apart and needing fixing or deeply cleaned, or repainted, etc... I thought about all the traffic that flows through our home.  I thought about how fast things get worn out and then I found myself getting anxious that we wouldn't be able to get it all taken care of in the time it would be needed.

Thankfully, I heard that still, small voice whisper.  "This isn't your concern.  You have no reason to fear.  I know what you need.  You take care of my sheep, and I will provide."

Then, I began to think how it seems I have NO good reason EVER to not be hospitable.  I have found no exception to this verse:  

1 Peter 4:9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

I don't see sickness excusing me...even though when I was down after a surgery, I desperately wanted to tell people they couldn't come over and see the mess.

I don't see busyness excusing me...even though some days, after teaching my kids all day and running to appointments, I just want to collapse in bed!

I don't see my mood excusing me...even though some days I am so mentally and emotionally exhausted from dealing with other circumstances.

I don't see inconvenience or my husband's work schedule or my lack of neatness or organization or my non-designer furniture or decor or my fear of judgment from others or that something could not be replaced when needed... 

I can think of nothing I could grumble about inside my mind excusing me from God's call to open my door to others.

OUCH!  That is hard for me, how about you?  But, I pray I will never stop having my heart laid bare before the Word of God. It indeed is living and active, dividing the intents of the heart!

Praise Him!

A Clean Slate

Extending grace to others can sometimes challenge me.  I try very hard to keep in mind how much God has forgiven me.  I try to remind myself that no one else's sin is greater than my own.  ALL sin put Jesus on the cross.

In day-to-day life though, I find that I constantly get stretched to extend that grace.  With my children, I especially have a hard time knowing when to offer more grace and when to discipline.

It hurts me when I see them sin.  When they choose to do something that I know they know we have taught them not to do and that they know God doesn't want them to do, it just makes me ache.

Tom and I have tried to teach our sons that we don't have a list of rules, nor does God have a list of rules, they must follow to earn our love or salvation.  Those things are free gifts.

But God does give us a book of wisdom that teaches us how to live under His protection and have the most abundant life possible.  His "rules" are actually guidelines to help us do things His right way.  His way leads to life, not death. 

Of course there are things in my own life that I'm certain makes God ache.  He is my Father, and He probably mourns my choices and hurts for me.  I crave His patience and understanding...His long-suffering love and His slowness to anger.

I can only guess that my children want the same from me, whether they can articulate that to me or not.

It's so hard to extend these things when you feel like you have told someone over and over again what to do or not do...when you have discussed and forgiven and given chances time and time again!

We walked through some things this week, and I was so angry with two of my boys right before bed one night.  The next morning when I woke, I heard the Holy Spirit nudging me to get up and make them their favorite breakfast.

Now, you know my flesh was fighting.  "God, they don't deserve that!"  And quickly, I realized how much I don't deserve grace or mercy either.

Sigh.  I made them breakfast.  They were visibly shocked.  They thanked me.  They even apologized for their choices.  We had a much better week.

Wouldn't you know it though, that one of them lied to me again yesterday.  It was about something ridiculous that he just didn't feel like doing, but what we are trying to help him see is that if you can be trusted with little, you can be trusted with much.

Sigh again.  It was time for me to offer some more grace and mercy.

Lamentations 3 
22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.

23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

Each morning, God let's me start with a clean slate.  It is mine to do the same for others.

Rejoice with Others

Love in Action~Romans 12

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[e]
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

I have had this portion of Scripture running through my head a lot in the last week and maybe February 14th is a great time to talk about it. 

This passage is called "Love in Action" in the New International Version.  There are so many great reminders here about how we should CHOOSE to treat one another, but the highlighted part above is what I have had running through my mind.

Rejoice with those who are rejoicing.  

It's not that this particular sentence is more important than the rest; it's just that I have seen so many people struggling to do it lately!

I am the type of person who hears something great that happened to someone else and I may have a thought like, "Oh wow!  They got a new car!  I can't wait for that day for us!" But very quickly I forget about me and I am just genuinely happy for them.  I don't struggle with being bitter or envious, etc...  I have sadly noticed though that this isn't the case for some Christians.  They covet each other's homes, vacations, clothes, even their spiritual gifts!

A couple weeks ago we found out that my husband won a very nice award for being the top engineer in his region.  He also won an expensive trip to a luxury resort in Mexico!

Of course we were rejoicing!  My husband works HARD!  He travels most days of the year and our entire family makes a lot of sacrifices to make that happen.  In my opinion, he absolutely deserves this award, though he would tell you, award or not, he does his job not for the accolades of man, but for the glory of God.  

This portion of Scripture came to my mind as I found myself hesitant to tell certain people about Tom's award because I new that they wouldn't just say congrats or be able to be happy for us, but they would say some remark about how nothing like that ever happens for them...blah, blah, blah.

I just don't get that.  I get that life is hard and sometimes you don't get rewarded for hard work, but I don't understand not rejoicing with someone else.

I am a firm believer that our attitude determines our altitude, meaning how we appear, act, and react, will have much to do with how we are promoted in this world.  Nobody enjoys being around grumblers and incessant complainers...Negative Nellie's and Oh-Woe-Is-Me Mildred's!

We all have choices each day to become part of the problem or part of the solution...to be faithful in the little so we can be trusted with much.  And just what do we do when we feel like we have been faithful and have worked hard?  

We trust God and we wait patiently, believing that if we do not grow weary in doing well, if we do not grow faint, in due time we shall reap our reward.

When our eyes are on the reward, they are often not on the Rewarder.  How do we change that?  We seek Him.  Hebrews 11:6 says that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  We seek Him diligently...

dil·i·gent

  [dil-i-juhnt] 

adjective

1.

constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and persistent in doing anything: a diligent student.

2.

done or pursued with persevering attention; painstaking: a diligent search of the files.