hospitality

tennessee was a bit of a blur.  i started to feel under the weather on sunday, i was in bed basically all of that day, besides church.

monday, we drove to tennessee.  i felt alright, drove a good portion of the trip, about 3 1/2 hours.  when we got to our interview location we had time to spare so i napped in the car.  after our interview i was ready to crash.  my voice started giving out, the woman we met with was really so kind, she said she'd only lost her voice a little while ago with laryngitis.  when i got back to the house we were staying at, i pretty much crashed.

we stayed in a beautiful house in tennessee, a connection through a friend from our university.  honestly, i think hospitality has to be one of the greatest ways to live the Gospel.  a home is so intimate; it's your space, your solace, it's where you go to get away from people on the outside.  to invite people in, share space, share food, share time and energy– it's a big deal.  the brother in this family met us at the door on day one and helped bring in our stuff, gave us a tour, welcomed us.  the parents weren't there because the mother was getting back surgery on the day we arrived– to make things more complicated for them!  and then here i am under the weather just sleeping away every day we're there; both mornings i woke up the father made breakfast, just so happily.  and he talked to me about Jesus and the healing of Jesus and the way the mind works with trauma and how only Jesus can really heal that.

i've seen hospitality from Christians and non-Christians before– no matter which, it's really just one of the sweetest feelings to feel welcomed somewhere you've never been before.  but i think it's something that believers should really be intentional about.  if you have the opportunity, what better way to be a steward of what God has given you to live in, than to share it with someone who has that need of a shelter for a while?


feeling better today finally, after the 10-hour drive back to richmond.  got a good 8 hours of sleep and i'm ready to go.  back to work, without the naps.