August 15, 2010
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The Command to be Hospitable (no matter where you live)!
I thought when we downsized (to a home that was smaller than our last garage) my ‘hospitality’ days would be over. Our previous homes housed many family gatherings over the years and I loved it! I really did! I loved the preparations and I loved cooking and baking for my family and friends.
It’s obvious due to the size of our new little bungalow that we won’t be gathering 30 plus loved ones into our home for the holidays. But, we are still given the command to be hospitable in Romans 12:13 no matter what the condition or size of our dwelling. It’s not a suggestion or an option.. it’s a command for a follower of Jesus Christ. So with that command the Lord gives His grace and as always makes it very possible.
Trying to obey the command to be hospitable while living in a barn has revealed some interesting things about myself that I didn’t know or didn’t want to face. I never thought of myself as a materialistic person. I never thought material things were important to me or that I tied material things to my reputation. We lived most of our married life in older homes and from paycheck to paycheck. It’s only been the last 15 years that things changed for us financially. We lived in several nice homes but I never imagined that pride had set in due to what we owned. It wasn’t until we moved into a barn that I began to see my pride surface. Our situation has brought this sin to the surface and for that I am grateful because it clearly is opposite of everything Christ represented. (He was born in a barn! *Smile*)
Recently this sweet lady wanted to come by our home to take care of some business. I had been to her house and it was a big and beautiful. I found excuses to delay her stopping by for several times until I realized what I was doing. I finally just got it out in the open and said, “we live in a barn”. Whew! I felt so much better not pretending we were something that we were not. Now that the pretense is gone I can just focus on making her feel comfortable when she visits.
I think learning to be content with your present situation involves embracing it as directly from God’s hand. We are thankful for our little place. It’s a great blessing to be rent free while we wait for a determination from Social Security. I want to thrive where God has placed us… not hide in embarrassment. God promises to withhold no good thing from those who are His and I believe He has fulfilled that promise in this provision. I’ve reminded myself often that ‘this’ and all it entails is a GOOD THING.. a precious gift given from the hand of God.
Lord willing, I will write soon about the practical things I’m learning concerning hospitality in a small place.
My friend Pam came for lunch.(Kevin said something silly and made us laugh!)
Comments (9)
Ohhhh….wait until payback!! You actually posted the FULL BODY SHOT of us? LOLOL
Love you
It would be hard to go from one way of living to another, quite the test…I admire the fact that you’ve not let it get you bitter and are set on letting it make you better.
@Mrs_LeFevour - I couldn’t resist! Hey, we’re Grandma’s not runway models! Let’s live like it! Love you! Come again for lunch soon!
I knew you would like it once you got use to living in a smaller home. Remember me telling you we lived in a 5th wheel for 31/2 yrs and we worked together as contractors? We both really liked it and we didn’t miss hardly any of our stuff. Just some of our books, mostly our study books. I liked the fact I could clean house in an hr. I would live in an rv in a min but Don would not know what to do with himself. He works in the garage a lot and loves to do yard work and projects.
But I don’t do all those giveaways. it is just stuff I don’t need. And I only shop for what I need.
We had more company in our small 1000 sq ft moble home then we have ever had. I also thought if only I had more room. Not so. It does not work that way. It is what is in your heart and what you want to share, that is what people care about. Not your space.
God bless you Georgene, I love hearing what the Lord is teaching you. Sharon
We are beginning to downsize in a lot of areas but are in a year’s lease so we want to be able to move into something smaller than what we have by next year. What a blessing to hear how the Lord is working in your heart!
From my heart I echo DawneElla’s thoughts. Really enjoy hearing your thoughts! ~Blessings as you continue to bless others right where God has you planted.
@SHARONS_PLACE - Wow Sharon! Really? You’d live in an RV again?That’s encouraging. I visited a friend today and her son/ DIL live in an RV on her property. The DIL showed me their RV trailer with a pop out. It was so roomy. I may not have thought so before I moved into our little place but now it looks spacious. I could live there.. easily. Who knows where we’ll end up! :=) All I know is that God will not withhold any good thing!
@georgene - Yes the 5th wheels with pop outs are very spacious. They are fun to look at on the net. And you don’t need to buy any furnishings. Ours had a great kitchen across the back of it. Lots of counter, a pantry and a nice sized frig. It was only a 33′ one. Or grands love to spend the night with us, It was like camping out to them. We could sleep 6 in ours. But 2 grands at a time where enough.
There are so many nice used ones out there. But you need to know the blue book on them, Just like a car before you buy one, If you do someday.
They are so nice today that is why there are thousands of snow birds, and full time RV’s that live in them permently.
God bless, Sharon
thanks for posting ! I too had struggled with not having what I once did ,It even crops up once and awhile when I hear someone wants to come over ect..to see me…But I am so happy I have gone through this I am a better person because of it !