Hospitality
Being hospitable means that you put other people first. You bring them into your warm, inviting atmosphere. If your home is a mess or something is not right, you don’t let your guest feel like they are “inconveniencing you or burdening you” at that time. You focus directly on your guests and making them feel like you want to take the time for them.
Some tips to show hospitality in your home:
- Put away your cell phones while visiting with others.
- Look directly into the person’s eyes while speaking with them to show you are paying attention.
- Don’t let your conversations be about you, focus on your guest and getting them to talk.
- If you can plan ahead, clean up your home or your visiting area.
- Light a candle, prepare a simple snack, keep distractions to a low.
- Make sure to give your bathroom a quick wipe as well.
What about if you can’t do hospitality in your home due to scheduling difficulties or inability to do it? Maybe you have many younger siblings and it would just not be a feasible thing, does this mean you can’t be hospitable? Of course not. Being hospitable means we can look for ways to help someone else out. This doesn’t always mean that we have to put on a full course meal for a family. It can be as simple as:
- Giving cookies or baked goods to someone. When baking a batch for your family, double it and make a plate for a neighbor or someone else you know whom would like them.
- Drop off a treat that a friend would love. Especially a mom who is at home all day long with little ones. A gourmet coffee just for her, would be much appreciated. Don’t forget an simple snack for the little one to prevent the grabbing hands of mom’s treat.J
- Deliver muffins for breakfast—help a mom out so she doesn’t have to make breakfast.
- Take dinner to a family whom you think it would bless. It could be a new mom, a sick family, a single mom, or maybe someone whom you know needs a break. Keep it simple, baked rigatoni and a loaf of bread. It will be appreciative.
- Offer to babysit. Give a new mom a chance to get something done and offer to watch her children for a few hours. This can be while she is in the home getting some much needed projects done.
- Lend your ear to a widow. Someone whom would appreciate friendly conversation because life is probably more quiet. Do some talking, but mostly listen. You might be surprised at some wisdom gleaned.
- Offer to help clean someone’s home. Doing something that might come easily for you, like cleaning, can seem like a mountain of work to do for an older person. Don’t expect money, do it because you want to help.
- Sweep your neighbors porch, rake their leaves in the yard, or offer to wash their vehicle.
If you see a need and you can fill it, make it happen!
