Then, overnight I became a temporary first grade teacher. And Pinterest became my best friend.
It turns out, Pinterest is actually a great resource for teachers. It is also a great resource for new recipes, cleaning tips, haircut ideas, and just about anything else you can imagine.
Just like with anything, Pinterest can be dangerous if we begin to put our hope in what it can offer us. But, it can also be a tool to serve the Lord and to serve others.
So, one day, as I was preparing the extra room for guests I thought – “Why not see what ideas Pinterest has to make our guests feel welcome?”
It turned out, there were thousands of ideas. I found out that in order to be hospitable, I should:
• Provide water bottles in the guest room.
• Find a cute way to write the wifi password.
• Provide fluffy towels.
• Light a candle.
The list could (and does) go on and on and on. And I’m sure those would all be great additions to a guest room. But then I started to think about what makes me feel welcome in other people’s houses, and although I appreciate a nice fluffy towel, the towel can’t make me feel welcome.
Last week, we went to visit a family from Happy Hour. As we walked up to the gate, their dog ran out to greet us. The kids, cats, chickens, and even the ducks made us feel welcome. They carefully set up tree trunks for us to sit on, and took clean towels off the clothes line so that we wouldn’t get dirty sitting directly on the tree trunk. We talked for about an hour, as we drank Coca-Cola out of shared glasses. Before we left, they showed us their cows, and their guinea pigs. The cow’s milk is the main source of income for the family, and the guinea pigs are sold to eat. Later that afternoon, we received a pot of rice, potatoes, and fried guinea pig as a gift.
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| Our hospitable friends, and their cow, Juana. (Not pictured: our guinea pig lunch) |
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| She wasn't that happy to see us. |
While I would never suggest serving up your guinea pigs to make guests feel welcome, I think there is something we can learn about sacrificial giving and generosity from this family. I didn’t feel welcome because of the Pinterest worthy décor or accommodations. I felt welcome because they gave sacrificially of themselves and their resources.
Hospitality is defined as: the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers
So while there is nothing wrong with fluffy towels, or a nice candle, I am challenged to let my hospitality look more like this:
“Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality.” Romans 12:9-13
So come and visit us in Bolivia, you may or may not get a fluffy towel and a guinea pig. ;)
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