Text: Luke 10:38-42, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Matthew 6:33, Luke 10:27
But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.”
– Luke 10:41-42a
You know how our words are just an overflow of our heart? (See Luke 6:45.) Well, my heart has a dark patch that the Holy Spirit is working on, and it still shows up on my lips when I’m not wise enough to keep quiet.
This happened once when I was with friends who planned to introduce me to a friend of theirs whom I did not want to meet. I had decided I didn’t like her theology or the way she used her words. I had written her off and wanted nothing to do with her. When my friends told me this person would not be able to come over after all, my response was, “I’m so glad she’s not coming. I don’t want to meet her anyway.”
Ouch! Talk about uncharitable!
After hearing myself utter such unloving words, and after being convicted about them, I knew I needed a refresher course in love.
Because it doesn’t matter if I don’t like her theology or the way she uses her words, does it? She is a person made in the image of God, and I am called to love her. I am called to believe the best about her, to act in a becoming way, to be for her, to hope for her, to pray for her, and to believe that love will never fail.
Before I can love anyone, I need to prepare my heart. And to do that, I need to sit myself down with Jesus and listen to Him for a while.
“…Mary, who seated herself at the Lord’s feet and was listening to His teaching.”
– Luke 10:39
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
– Luke 10:27
I need to let His love permeate me. As that happens, peace comes in and I am able to trust Him with all things, even the people I don’t agree with. In fact, when I trust Him, I can love others. And when I am able to love, I am able to be hospitable.
Hospitality isn’t about a home or a physical table or food, or any of that. Hospitality is about love. It’s about loving other people; the rest is just trappings.
We can make a table for people to gather, but that alone doesn’t reflect love. Look at Martha, that beloved friend of Jesus who was so distracted with serving and being irritated with her sister and with God Himself that she missed it. She missed the point of it all. We serve, we work, we make a table in order to gather and to listen and to enter into relationship.
The point is the person, not the particulars.
And the person or people, what we all need is love.
Love… is patient, kind, not jealous, doesn’t brag, isn’t arrogant, doesn’t act unbecomingly, doesn’t seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. It never fails. (from 1 Corinthians 13)
Before we prepare a table, let’s ready our hearts to do a very scary thing: trust God unwaveringly with others so that we may be free to love them with a pure heart.
Sarah Mae is an influential Christian blogger, conference cohost, and author with a drive to inspire women to hold fast to Jesus and to live by faith. Her bestselling book, Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe, has given women everywhere the permission to be honest about the exhausting little years of motherhood. She celebrates life with her husband and three children in the beautiful Amish countryside of Pennsylvania where she often ponders what life would be like if she actually finished all the laundry.
Leave a Reply
77 thoughts on "Ready The Table, Ready The Heart"
its so hard to welcome when we have been hurt or when we are opening ourselves to uncomfortable situations, what a reminder to keep an open heart, and fill it with HIS love first to pour out on others. Amen!
I struggle to love my coworkers. ..this is a challenging reminder.
I can definitely relate to that!
A couple of days ago I listened to a talk by a former lesbian about her journey in becoming a Christian. One of the things that most struck me about her journey was that she met a pastor who became her friend. He and his wife would have her over regularly for dinner and conversation and she said that she was amazed that he broke the two ‘rules’ of Christian hospitality: they didn’t overtly share the Gospel with her and the didn’t invite her to church. What they DID do was love her and talk to her about her questions and assumptions. They shared meals and enjoyed each other’s company. They promoted a safe, comfortable forum for open communication between to very different value sets and lifestyles.
It reminded me of all these devotionals. That is what hospitality is. A safe place for people to be heard and be extravagantly loved against all societal preconceptions.
Thank you for this, Sarah Mae! "Before we prepare table, let's ready our hearts"… This is so needed, so true! How often do I turn hospitality into a list of things I need to prepare in the home while neglecting the most important aspect of having someone into my home–sharing my heart!
Really kind and true. Great lines and great site oficial ! Thank you for reminding me to let love lead.
My struggle isn't so much with the "particulars" – it is with trust. The struggle with trusting God directly affects my ability to love freely. I long to soak up God's Love & to trust Him completely, but I am stuck. Please pray that God can reach my heart in this area. I'm so weary…
I truly had a revelation here this morning. Just think Jesus was in Martha’s home. Jesus is in our homes. He is here with us. Do we ignore him? Do we sit at His feet?
Like Martha we can easily get distracted by what we have to get done and forget to focus on that one thing that is needed, time with Jesus. Martha had opened her home and closed her heart. Do we do that?Growing up I remember how frustrated and anxious my mom would get when we had guests arriving. She had 7 children and we could not have made it easy. I loved it when she would let me help and getting the China out was a joy for me. My older sister and I would throw dinner parties for our siblings whenever my parents had a night away. She would cook and I would set the scene. I still love to entertain and it can be a lot of work but I approach the preparations prayerfully, wanting my guests to feel special and loved. I try to have most everything done before they arrive so we can relax and enjoy each other. Hospitality is indeed opening your heart not just your home and putting the people BEFORE the preparations. Entertains is not enjoyable for anyone if you do it with the wrong heart. I hope this doesn’t deter people who love details and entertaining from truly enjoying practicing hospitality in that way.
Sit at Jesus feet awhile, then get up and open your heart and home to those He brings, friends, strangers, family, etc. Your style of entertains is a reflection of your tastes but your heart of hospitality is a representation of Jesus in you.
perfect to read this morning as I prepare for my sister’s bridal shower this afternoon. God, help to to love those attending. Speak your truth and to enjoy the moments celebrating my sister & her marriage. amen
This was so good. I lead a team and it’s hard to love them at times especially when I don’t agree with what they are doing. This encourages me to look at what is going on with the person, at their heart instead of focusing on their actions. I need to enter in and figure out what is really going on. What is in their heart and how can I be used by The Lord to encourage them.
Just great
I miss the prayers at the end of the devotionals!
This got me:) needed to hear it, very deeply! Thank you!
-Carrie
Thanks for joining us, Carrie! We love having you!
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
This is the best She Reads Truth post I’ve read in awhile. I love the transparency and truth here, and easy, practical application. It’s so easy to get caught up looking through our “Christian goggles”: is that person spending their money wisely? Should he/she really be that rich as a believer? Oh, that person is gay? I won’t spend time reaching out to them.
It doesn’t matter who they are or how “sinful” we think they are – we all have sin in our lives; it just looks different for every person. Love all. Invite all in. Speak truth in love.
Having just planned and pulled off my one year old’s birthday party, this is so timely for me. We had family from our of town and I know I didn’t make the most of my time with them. Isn’t it hardest with family anyway?
So perfect for me today. Thank you Lord Jesus! I need to trust YOU with those I worry about in regards to poor theology. Lately I’ve been worked up about some friends and also a blogger that I’ve all admired but have noticed their “falling off” in regards to strong Christ-centered theology. My worrying, frustrations, and anger over these people MUST be turned over to you. What can I do, a mere mortal? Thank you Jesus, you can change the hearts of others with your love. You can change mine!
Great post!! I needed to hear this today! Thank you!
I need to let His love permeate me. As that happens, peace comes in and I am able to trust Him with all things, even the people I don’t agree with. In fact, when I trust Him, I can love others. And when I am able to love, I am able to be hospitable.
I loved this portion… From the start we must let Jesus' love PERMEATE US! We can't jump from our Pinterest board and culture-induced ideas of hospitality to loving others if we don't let Jesus first fill our love cup and then overpour into and onto others. I feel Jesus calling me to NOT run from one incorrect view of hospitality to another. It all starts with an identity rooted in the person and love of Jesus Christ, our Savior!
I was guilty just yesterday of not guarding my mouth and having to apologize for it soon after. Words are so powerful. The only thing I accomplished was creating a tense, uncomfortable atmosphere. My motives were purely selfish and I had to ask forgiveness from both my friend and from God. I feel so badly about it but grateful my friend and the Lord have shown me grace.
I am so grateful for this study. I have one person in my life whom I find particularly challenging to love. I started this study, hoping for wisdom, truth and scripture to change my heart, to meditate on. Thank you for this. And the truth of being “called to unusual kindness and love”.
What an amazing and eye opening post! it’s been easy for me to trust the Lord and the plan He has for me, but have I trusted Him and the people He brings into my life? No. Hospitality is about love, and I pray to find the loving way of Jesus when befriending new people, and being present with company, instead of worrying about what needs to be done and cleaned.
Oftentimes I am too worried about the appearance of me/my family/the party/the job/everything and anything that like Martha I fear I am missing the point or lesson to be learned! Open my heart God so that I can let the anxiety go and learn the lesson in the moment. I always get so irritated at concerts when all you see are a bunch of cell phones lit up- I think “put your phone up and be in the moment- remember how you felt and what it was like to have goosebumps on your skin, not how you think you felt while focusing on recording the moment”. Be still and listen.
"Because it doesn’t matter if I don’t like her theology or the way she uses her words, does it? She is a person made in the image of God, and I am called to love her. I am called to believe the best about her, to act in a becoming way, to be for her, to hope for her, to pray for her, and to believe that love will never fail."
These words are so difficult to live! I am praying for strength, bravery, boldness, a kinder heart…
I love the freedom that Hospitality isn’t all about the fancy tea cups or decorated home but just genuinely giving ourselves in love!
How do I add a picture next to my name ?
You would do that in your WordPress profile. :)
I’m a total Martha and need to work on that!!
I was a total Martha. I would take on too much, work too hard, and stress way too much in order to entertain someone and then complain to my husband and family that they didn’t help me enough. I would be working myself to death in the kitchen while ressenting everyone in the other room that was having a good time. But the Father dealt with me over a period of time about the importance of relationship and graciousness. He sent me message after message about connecting with people and spending the time and attention in relationship with them instead of the empty reward of a clean house and delightful meal.
Becky, I’m right there with you. You hit the nail on the head here!
“Before I can love anyone, I need to prepare my heart, and to do that, I need to sit myself down with Jesus, and listen to him for a while.” I love to serve. It comes naturally to me. So when I see a need, I try to meet it. I would venture to say that I often do that without prayer. Without a huddle with great high King. Even when we are serving him, like Martha, we need to find the time to just “be” with him as well. In our culture today, busyness seems like the only way of life. Let us remember to make time for the one that truly matters.
I need to do this study every year before the holiday season. I am a Martha, I typically spend my holidays in the kitchen along with about 4 other women prepping, serving, and then cleaning up after a meal for about 50 people. I get so resentful, it’s my in- laws, no one volunteers to help, at the end of the day I’m crabby with my own family, it’s to the point where I dread holiday dinners. I feel like if I let myself be a Mary then all the work will fall to just the hostess with no help from anyone else. So I’m praying to have a Mary attitude in the kitchen this year, to enjoy the fellowship with my fellow Marthas, and to remember that it’s a blessing to see my husband’s grandma light up when her family is surrounding her.
There is a particular in-law in my life who can be very hard to be around. My mind says, "I shouldn't welcome her into my home. I shouldn't let my children be around her. Her ways are different then my own. She says hurtful things. She tries to control our marriage. I shouldn't forgive her." But my heart says, "Carrie, you need to forgive- seventy times seven. You need to let go and continue being loving towards her. You need to just trust God with this and allow Him to heal the hurt she continues to bring." While I am working on boundaries which are very necessary for me, my husband, and my family, I am also working on my stubborn self to continue being loving and hospitable when she is around. It's a struggle. I love what you said about remembering that the other person is made in the image of God. This was very timely for me today! Blessings, Carrie
Overcoming the Hurt That Others Cause: http://unspeakablejoymovement.blogspot.com/2014/1…
Through all of this study I keep coming back to my young adult/college students and how I can be more hospitable to them. My husband, shockingly, agreed to hosting a cookout and campfire next weekend. I know he thinks it will be small, and maybe it will be, but I can’t help but think that God has bigger plans. It’s really hard for my husband to invite others in, and too easy for me to be Mary sometimes and let the cleaning go. There is a balance that has to be struck, and prep work that shouldn’t be avoided, but I’m so glad to be learning it’s a prepped heart that is more important than a prepped house. (Although I do promise I’ll clean the bathroom. ) I’m so excited to see God at work, His was are not our ways – they are so much greater.
Love this, Jenny! So excited to see what God does through your cookout! Let us know:)
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
Convicted in the smack dab middle of an opportunity to allow love in and her companion grace! Laying in bed last night with a chronic pain flare up, my husband receives a phone call from an unsaved distant relative who asks to visit with us this Saturday if we are free. My husband replies yes that would be great! He didn’t think it would be any problem to manage a two family yard sale and entertain these elderly family members. Can’t cancel the yard sale as we are doing it to assist our daughter through a difficult financial desert.
Still don’t know how my body will manage the interruption. But, I do know how my heart and spirit are going to handle this divine diversion. Please pray for me Friday and Saturday that I will let go and let our Lord shine!
You may not see how it can all work, but know that God does! Praying for you.
Hmm, I feel the Lord wispering to change my focus. I too, as Sarah Mae said, need a refresher course in love. Love. That's the answer. Many times in my Christian walk I've prayed that the Lord would set a guard over my mouth, watch over the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3. And, to let my speach always be with grace Col. 4:6. Several times in the past year, something has come out of my mouth that made me immediately think, Wow – that reveals what's really in my heart. I would repent and asked the Lord to change my heart. Today, I hear the Lord telling me to do the refresher course on Love. Meditate on 1 Cor 13, John 3:16, Romans 12:9, and others for a while. I hear the Lord telling me that this… LOVE… love is the key to the issue He and I have been working on in my life – which is legalism. I am so saddened to admit that I have been a legalist for much of my Christian life and others have been hurt by my judgemental, legalistic, no grace stance. God, in His great mercy has brought me to repentance and caused me to long for His grace and love to be extended to others through me. Thank you Sarah Mae and SRT. Loving the Hosptitality study. I joined the SRT community last January and have been blessed by each study. Praying a grace filled day for each of you!
Kimberly, we are SO glad you're in our community! It's so wonderful to hear the incredible things God is teaching you! Thanks for sharing with us, friend!
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
I often overlook 1 Corinthians 13 because it is such a familiar passage. But today it really hit me, especially since it was paired with the Mary and Martha passage. I know I am supposed to love but it is easy to forget what love actually is. Thankful for a refresher course this morning, it was much needed.
Thank you for these good words this day! I appreciate you, Sarah Mae! May God enable us to lean in and know He is able to complete His work in us as we lay down “our way” for His!!
I have loved this study! It's been rather convicting because I really do love to have people in our home but it's primarily when it's convenient for us and usually only people that we like and enjoy and count as close friends. Not that having your friends over is inherently bad–it's not. But I'm learning that hospitality encompasses so much more than that! I was especially struck by these words from todays post: "Because it doesn’t matter if I don’t like her theology or the way she uses her words, does it? She is a person made in the image of God, and I am called to love her. I am called to believe the best about her, to act in a becoming way, to be for her, to hope for her, to pray for her, and to believe that love will never fail…We can make a table for people to gather, but that alone doesn’t reflect love. Look at Martha, that beloved friend of Jesus who was so distracted with serving and being irritated with her sister and with God Himself that she missed it. She missed the point of it all. We serve, we work, we make a table in order to gather and to listen and to enter into relationship." This made me think of the post from Day 3 about being truly known. I have been taken and accepted and known by Christ AS I AM and I have an opportunity to extend that kind of love to other people. I think especially about people in my life that aren't Christians. What an opportunity to show them that Christ deeply knows us and still loves us and accepts us without condition. I have to remember I'm not entertaining the royal family with perfect execution of a meal, I'm welcoming and loving people made in the image of Christ and saying bring your mess because it's safe to be messy here, we love you in your mess because we are messy too.
“Before I can love anyone, I need to prepare my heart. And to do that, I need to sit myself down with Jesus and listen to Him for a while.” I needed this so much today! Thank you!
I pray for a heart that loves. Not one which strives in order to be enough or judges in order to be better. A loving heart. Which pours continuously the love of a God who loves me so. To those who love Him as Lord and those who don't. To those with whom I get along with and those with whom I struggle. May my eyes be those of our Lord-able to see every human as worthy of love. May my actions be loving, my thoughts be loving my words be loving. For I frequently regret being too course, too judgmental,and too superficial-I have yet to regret loving abundantly in a way which reflects the way that God loves me.
Sarah, that was a great prayer. Everything you included in there hits home to me as well. Let us learn how have a heart that loves!
so well said. thank you!
Ladies….compliments!!! I just have to say, you're taking such good care of that little succulent plant that finds itself in so many adorable images!!! It think that's a true reflection of your heart space.
house work
pursuit of perfection
fear of vulnerability
pride
busyness with things of no eternal value
idol of time
Lord, forgive this list. focus my heart on the one necessary thing. You. Amen.
Amen!
My struggle isn't so much with the "particulars" – it is with trust. The struggle with trusting God directly affects my ability to love freely. I long to soak up God's Love & to trust Him completely, but I am stuck. Please pray that God can reach my heart in this area. I'm so weary…
Ah the Lord has such a sense of humor. As I’ve been taking all this in, being convicted, seeing where I need to grow, my son asks me if a friend of his, about to become homeless due to job loss, could stay here. I can hardly afford feeding you, I barked. (My son is here as well to get on his feet after a job loss. He’s in his way, has a job, paying off some bills, etc ).
Well I was convicted. So this morning as I sit in the quiet, I hear Bryan snoring softly on the sofa in the basement. I don’t have a guest room any more. But he’s safe. He doesn’t have to sleep in his car. Help me Lord to be hospitable and stretch the money too! Most of all help me share your love.
Thank you for sharing this, friend! I love the image of you in the quiet, hearing Bryan safe and fast asleep. It reminds me of how God quiets us with His love!
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
:)
Prepare the heart; this is what struck me this morning. Do I ever stop & take a few moments to intentionally pray/listen to The Lord & allow Him to speak to me on behalf of those I am about to meet? I am challenged to do this. To pray & ask The Lord to interfere with my heart & conversations, to show me how to love them well, teach me how to welcome others with His presence. Just a few intentional minutes; even if it’s in the car on the way; prepare my heart to reflect His!
Wow! I did the same thing on Tuesday with my mouth and felt so dumb! I need to guard my mouth and only let words proceed from it that are encouraging and point others to Christ!!
“Know this, my beloved brothers:let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” James 1:19
"In fact, when I trust Him, I can love others." <— THIS is just what I needed to hear. Because when life is hard and when people harsh, I all of a sudden distrust God and try to defend myself… I am not loving towards others.
In all situations, I have to remember to trust God.. they might not even be "hard" situations in his eyes. I always wonder if a "hard" situation on earth looks the same in heaven? Either way, He is holding me and guiding me and I don't have to worry and be anxious.
I have a new rule for myself – if I think of something good to say to someone, or if it crosses my mind how much I love someone, I tell them right then. I have no shortage of love in my heart, but what good does it do if I don’t act on it? I don’t want to be too afraid, too shy, or too embarrassed to be hospitable.
Love this rule, Lacey! Thanks for sharing it!
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
This really struck me today. I have read this passage several times and always focused on Mary and her example of faith. I have never really thought about it in depth from the perspective of Martha. She had Jesus in her home and missed the opportunity to hear him teach and spend time with him because she was too busy cooking and getting things in order. Even more so she wasn't in a good mood because she was angry at Mary. How many times have my actions been the exact same? How many times have I missed out on great conversations and good fellowship because I was too busy making sure things were perfect? Too often. Sadly, if Jesus was in my home, I fear I would be so worried about making a good impression that my actions would mirror Martha's and not Mary's. Thank you for this study, it has made me really examine my actions and opened my eyes to a lot of missed opportunities by worrying about the presentation.
Thank you Sarah Mae for this study today! May God bless us all! Have a great day.
Wow. So good!
This was so beautiful Sarah Mae… Thank you for sharing your heart with us. I can relate so well to this. I have such a hard time opening up to new people in my life. I am a bit (ok a lot shy) and I don't always know what to say. At times I come across as "unfriendly" when I am far from that. I am praying for this in my life right now. That maybe God could help open my mouth and give me words to encourage others and to not feel so embarrassed about everything. To show Hospitality to everyone I meet with my words and actions.
xoxo blessings ladies…
LOVE THIS!!!
Trust God unwaveringly with others… Yes this is my take away, my words to chew on, to let seap down into my heart… That i might TRUST God unwaveringly…. This is necessary in order to truly love others.
"Ready our hearts".. Ohh, this study continues to show me the yucky parts of my heart. Details, details, details.. I am Martha, and I want to be Mary. I want to slow down, and just be present. Holy Spirit, help me in my unbelief, that I may trust God with my whole heart, and begin to truly love others. "The point is the person, not the particulars." Thank you Sarah Mae!
Oh Julia you and I are kindred spirits with hearts in the same place! I too am a Martha and sooooo want to be a Mary! I commit to pray for you through this season of Thanksgiving as we strive to put our heart and our trust in the right place. I would cherish your prayer also. Peace sister.
Thank you Tammy! I will pray for you too:)
As I read this scripture and devotional I can't contain the teacher and mommy inside of me!
Dear Beautiful Daughter,
As you continue to grow so quickly before my eyes I pray that God will cultivate in you a heart for Him. I am thankful for the blessing that God gave me in you and a little scared in my shortcomings as I seek to raise you on the righteous path. Today God whispered to my heart about one of those. I pray that He will guide my heart to not be distracted of worried with "things" but instead to have an open heart that sees, embraces, and loves you in the moment. To put away my distractions and to show you love in the moment so that you may see the example of Christ living in me and through me.
Xo, mommy
Dear Students,
As I continue to search my heart for biblical hospitality, God is also whispering to me about you. As I struggle with burnout and am weary by the issues of public education, I pray that God leads my heart to meet you in the messiness of our classroom and to love you like my family. God has also placed you in my life as blessings and as opportunities to show Christ living through me. I pray that I draw comfort from God when I am weary so that I may live out this hospitality in my classroom and in your lives.
Much love, Mrs. B
Dear God,
Thank you for whispering to my heart and opening my eyes. I pray that I continue to listen and see.
Truly yours, cricket
Thank you for sharing these prayers! I echo them in my heart! Beautiful.
I am a teacher also, and your prayer sums up exactly what this study has been doing inside my teacher heart! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for sharing! I’m also a teacher!
Beautiful words, sister. Praying with you! Thanks for sharing with us!
xoxo-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
"Love thy neighbor" …. I'm struggling a bit with this one, with a literal neighbor. I'm typically very compassionate towards others, but in two years, circumstances have become unique and there are things between us that are directly affecting, all but one member of my family in very unique, yet direct ways, through this relationship. I've gone from someone, with her, that was loving and encouraging, to someone who is distanced and frustrated. Now, when she calls or comes asking to borrow, I share immediately, however, my attitude isn't very joy filled. It feels as if it's become a very one sided relationship and I'm struggling. In fact, this situation is conflicting one of our daughters so greatly, it's near daily complications for us. I'm not feeling very "loving". I need to ready my heart and remember it IS about "the person, not the particulars". I love that! I believe, in this case, it's ok to distance a little, for emotional safety and security, BUT that doesn't mean I can't love, can't encourage and can't share happily. Of course I can. This is a great reminder that I need to turn the entire situation over to God and believe that good will come of it, even if by distance. :) ~ B
Wow!! It's as if I wrote your response myself!! Thank you for sharing because my neighbor did not come to mind until I read your post! Not about the particulars is so right and I need to show His love!!
Beautiful share Tina. What a blessing you were to Mary to just love her as is. You're a rare gem.
Hospitality is about Love……it truly has to be…from the heart…deep down, where nothing else matters, but LOVE…
Having been going through the recalling and memories these last few days….the good old days….my mind wondered off to a good friend from way back when I needed baby sitters…Her name was Mary, she was married to John and they had 3 children under 5, 2 average sized dogs, and albino rats….yeap, rats in a glass home and they lived in the flat below me….Mary was the most untidiest person I have ever met…..but she had a heart of gold, she would do anything for anyone…..just didn't like housework or anything like that..as a result the flat stunk, and I mean stunk…These were days of Terry towelling nappies….those of us that used them, will remember that they needed to be rinsed out pretty much once they were removed from the little one, as left over time, they began to smell…on most of my babysitting turns,I would enter a house with a couple of these left in various places around the flat…plates left from whichever day and just general chaos…once the children were settled, I would set to, trying to navigate my way through the washing up, often that was a mission…depending on time, I would begin to put toys away…. I never had a cup of anything there….as I was never partial to a furry cup of tea….but…and this is a BIG but…..I loved Mary, she was my friend….and no amount of 'particulars' was going to stop us being so…I used to open doors and windows on my watch…I was fine….
Just to make you laugh….the routine, when I got home from babysitting was, I would knock on the door, my husband would get my dressing gown and I would strip on the doorstep.!!!!..NO lie….but you know what I wouldn't have swapped Mary for anyone…
.Hospitality is about LOVE, patient,.. kind.., none bragging,.. not jealous,.. not self seeking.., holds no grudges,.. rejoices in TRUTH….Love., ..EVERYTHING else is just ribbons and bows….frills…Mary had a good heart, and just not enough time to get stuff done….the house didn't take from who her core being was….a good and kind person…
Hello Sarah…Thank you for that prompt, and reminder that it's the people and not the what, which where of their lives….that is important…
My beautiful Sisters, Happy Thursday to you….with love always….T.xxx is about Love……it truly has to be…from the heart…deep down, where nothing else matters, but LOVE…
Bless you Tina! Your sharing is always spot on and you are a gifted story-teller. I pray your day is filled with love.
Wow, this is very helpful, I think as an example, it is a good contrast to apply. I appreciate your thoughtful writing. Thanks for this post
Thank you for this, Sarah Mae! "Before we prepare table, let's ready our hearts"… This is so needed, so true! How often do I turn hospitality into a list of things I need to prepare in the home while neglecting the most important aspect of having someone into my home–sharing my heart! Thank you for reminding me to let love lead.
Blessings today, ladies!! :)