Devotion: The Heart of Hospitality

“I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.”  ~Dr. Maya Angelou

Chaperoning a middle school field trip is not everyone’s idea of a fun day, but I didn’t mind. I enjoyed spending time with my daughter and getting to know her friends. However, my comfort level dropped during lunch.

Because we are fairly new, I didn’t know many parents on the trip. I picked up my boxed lunch and watched my daughter scurry off with her friends. The other moms and dads were deep in conversation with no available seats at their tables. As I looked around, I discovered I had no place to belong.

I was transported back to my own junior high school lunchroom, back to the days of standing by the tables with my lunch tray in hand, unsure of my place. I wasn’t one of the cool cheerleaders or athletes. I didn’t belong in the emo group. I didn’t fit in with the band kids, the shop class, or the talented show choir. Standing in the lunch room felt like falling through a crack—a long, uncontrolled, neverending fall into isolation.

Here I stood again, in the crack. I am a middle-aged mom who couldn’t find her place. I sat on a bench alone and ate my lunch. I felt out of place, disconnected, uncool. Just across the way, another lone ranger parent ate his lunch in silence. I joined him and tried a few questions to get the conversation going. While the fun parents chatted and laughed, I labored to connect with a stranger, to find my way out of isolation.

Will our search for belonging ever end? Even in a room full of friends and acquaintances, do we feel like we are enough? Are you ever uncertain of your place or value?

Zacchaeus was a man in the crack. A short, rich, Jewish tax collector, he was vertically, socially, and occupationally challenged. He didn’t fit in with the rabbis or the common citizens. When it came time for lunch, no one invited Zach to sit with them. But everything changed when Jesus came his way.

Zacchaeus, eager to get a glimpse of Jesus, climbed a tree. “When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly” (Luke 19:5-6 NIV).

Just like me, Zach wanted to belong. Jesus invited himself to dinner, to a house no one else wanted to visit. He sat at a table with a social outcast. As they broke bread, Zach’s heart responded to the call to belong.

“‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost'” (Luke 19:8-10 NIV).

God welcomes us to his table, just as he welcomed Zacchaeus. He invites us to step out of the crack of isolation. He asks us to sit by him and join the conversation. If God does this for us, shouldn’t we turn to those around us and do the same? Hospitality is our opportunity to welcome others into the Lord’s presence. We only need to look to the person beside us to find someone who wants to belong.

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Father, thank you for making us welcome. Your arms are always open, and you are always ready to listen. Help us to do the same for both strangers and friends. As you draw us in with your unconditional love, give us the courage to love others. May our hospitality in all situations soften hearts toward you.

Scripture for Reflection

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Ps. 23:5-6 NIV)

“The next time you put on a dinner, don’t just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the favor. Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. You’ll be—and experience—a blessing. They won’t be able to return the favor, but the favor will be returned—oh, how it will be returned!—at the resurrection of God’s people.” (Luke 14:12-14 MSG)

“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Pet. 4:9-10 NIV)

Reach for More

Pause for a moment and consider God’s hospitality toward you. Our posts throughout this coming week speak to the beauty of God’s glorious table. Gratitude for God’s love and grace will prepare you for this week’s assignment.

As you move through your day, look for someone in the crack—the new coworker, a lonely parent on the sidelines of the soccer field, or a visitor at church. Extend a welcoming hand. Introduce yourself, ask questions, and listen as they tell you about themselves. Giving someone a place to belong is a priceless gift. We can do this, friends. We can step out of our own comfort zones in order to bring comfort to others.

Please, come back and leave a comment telling us about how God spoke to you this week, or share your progress on social media using the hashtag #tgtreachformore. We would love to hear from you.

 

Kelly Smith is a small town girl who married a small town man 17 years ago. She has three energetic blessings, ages 1 to 11. Her favorite indulgences are coffee, reading, writing, and running. Kelly believes we are created for community and loves to find ways to connect with other women who are walking in the shadow of the cross. She blogs at mrsdisciple.com.