Two of our dear friends have just left after an enjoyable evening of cheesecake, coffee, and conversation, and I must say it was a wonderful way to kick off the weekend. These are friends we don't have to put on a show for. Yes, I did tidy up a bit before they came, but I didn't care that there was a pile of baby clothes still on the bar stool in the kitchen. Tonight, we were all able to relax as we chatted and sipped our coffee.
Dave and I decided to be intentional about inviting people to our home on a Friday night for dessert. Our original goal was to do this twice a month, but given our other social commitments on Friday nights, it seems one time a month is working well. I suppose you could say it was a New Year's resolution considering it began in January with inviting two of my coworkers and their husbands. We simply pick up a pie or other special treat, bring out the box of K-cups for guests to choose from, and chat about anything and everything either around the kitchen table or spread out among the comfy leather couches in the living room.
Although I'm an introvert at heart, one of my desires is to open our home to others. Through our marriage, this has taken many forms. We've hosted college students here on choir tours, friends and family visiting from Scotland, small group meetings, and annual Christmas parties. At this stage in our lives, it's a bit more difficult to go out in the evenings when Miss G's bedtime is 6:30, so it makes perfect sense to invite people over instead of making plans to meet at a restaurant. Buying something already made at the grocery store may not sound as charming as a homemade treat, but it's the best I can do for now, and I'm perfectly fine with that. What matters to me is that our friends feel at home when they visit.
And, really, I think that's what hospitality is all about. Forget about the fancy desserts or the entertaining games. Hospitality is simply about making others feel welcome in your home.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
Sunday Reflections (February 10)
Yesterday, Dave and I dropped off Miss G at the nursery, walked to our seats in the second row, and sat down to read our bulletins together for the first time in so long we couldn't even remember the last time we'd attended an entire service together.
It was an amazing service to attend, too. Our church has special weekends a few times each year when we invite high-profile guests to share their stories. We've had sports legends, television stars, and simply inspiring people who have walked through heartache and come out stronger because of Christ's work in their lives. Anyway, our church's guest this past weekend was Matthew Luhn. His name may not be familiar, but you definitely know his work if you've seen Pixar movies like Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Up. Matthew Luhn is one of the many people involved in creating the stories we enjoy when we watch Pixar films.
Matthew grew up with a family who encouraged him to use his gift of drawing. They didn't squash his dreams but instead encouraged him to shoot for the stars in his career. He ended up working as an animator for The Simpsons at the age of 19. As a parent, I was really encouraged by this example of being your child's number one cheerleader. Once G gets old enough to exhibit some of her gifts, I hope to be able to encourage her to use them. As a Christian, I hope to encourage her to use those gifts in service to God, who blessed her with them. She may not become a superstar, and that's okay. My prayer is that she does the best she can do with what God has given her.
One of the favorite things I heard in the service was something our pastor said during the altar call. He said, "The problem is that we want to write our own story. And then we mess it all up." It is certainly human nature to pluck that pencil from our life's Author and begin to write our own version of the story. But that only leads to a bunch of crumpled up paper. Instead, we need to let God hold the pencil and trust that his story for our lives is a true masterpiece and better than anything we could ever create.
It was an amazing service to attend, too. Our church has special weekends a few times each year when we invite high-profile guests to share their stories. We've had sports legends, television stars, and simply inspiring people who have walked through heartache and come out stronger because of Christ's work in their lives. Anyway, our church's guest this past weekend was Matthew Luhn. His name may not be familiar, but you definitely know his work if you've seen Pixar movies like Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Up. Matthew Luhn is one of the many people involved in creating the stories we enjoy when we watch Pixar films.
Matthew grew up with a family who encouraged him to use his gift of drawing. They didn't squash his dreams but instead encouraged him to shoot for the stars in his career. He ended up working as an animator for The Simpsons at the age of 19. As a parent, I was really encouraged by this example of being your child's number one cheerleader. Once G gets old enough to exhibit some of her gifts, I hope to be able to encourage her to use them. As a Christian, I hope to encourage her to use those gifts in service to God, who blessed her with them. She may not become a superstar, and that's okay. My prayer is that she does the best she can do with what God has given her.
One of the favorite things I heard in the service was something our pastor said during the altar call. He said, "The problem is that we want to write our own story. And then we mess it all up." It is certainly human nature to pluck that pencil from our life's Author and begin to write our own version of the story. But that only leads to a bunch of crumpled up paper. Instead, we need to let God hold the pencil and trust that his story for our lives is a true masterpiece and better than anything we could ever create.
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