A friend mentioned to me yesterday that it was sweet that Emily wanted our family friends over for her birthday. She seemed impressed by that.
I was not surprised by that at all. My kids love and respect our family friends. They consider the adults as their friends as well. Partly it is because of home schooling. They are around a wide variety of people for most of their lives, and don't get locked into a "peers only" mentality.
However I believe their is another reason for this as well. I believe it has to do with our practice of hospitality. We always practice hospitality as a family. Even if we only have adults over, our children have been taught that they are not just mine and Dads' guests, but they are guests of our whole family. They do their part to make the time pleasant for everyone. One child might want to make place cards, one child likes to give tours of our home. All the kids, visit with our company until we either tell them to go and play or until they ask to go do something and we give them permission. The older girls often stay with us the whole time. This is normal for our family, so I think that has lead the girls to enjoy hospitality and to like to practice it themselves.
Emily couldn't have been happier, than she was Sunday night. The only thing that would have made it perfect is if our family, that live out of state, could have been here!
I want to encourage you to offer hospitality - we have been so encouraged and blessed when we do this. Your home does not need to be large, or magazine perfect. In fact we would have people over even when we didn't have trim up around our interior doors. People did not seem to notice - in fact they often would comment about how warm and cozy our house was!
People love to be invited. They like that someone has noticed them and wants to get to know them better! It is a way of showing God's love to people.
I am so delighted that my children love hospitality. I look forward to the day when my children are hosting people in their own homes. Right now I love what our multi-generational hospitality looks like.
7 comments:
I think we will have our practice this week!! Eh?
I appreciate this post because it is something deeply embedded in my heart as well!
My husband Pastor's a church, and we also have a church school. One of our core values for both the school and church is that we are to be multi-generational and we are to extend hospitality to others.
In our church school the teenagers play at recess with the younger children, and help them just as they would their siblings. In fact, some of them are their siblings :-) The adults of our church teach various subjects in the school and come for lunch with the children. Our children have great relationships with the adults and interact easily with them.
Again, thanks for sharing! It's great to read things from others who share the same values!
This sounds so very familiar. When my daughter turned 18 *she* drew up the invitation list for her very special celebration. While her closest same/similar age friends were invited, most of the invitees were older (our age) dear friends. She made the invitation (sketched it and used her favorite bible verse) and addressed/sent out the ivites. It was a gathering of those who are nearest and dearest to her, which made the celebration all that more special.
Our home is small so there's always the concern of how will everyone fit. Thankfully, we have seating for 22+ in the backyard so do a fair amount of nice weather entertaining if we have a crowd. During inclement weather (late fall, winter) our gatherings are smaller, more intimate.
What a nice post you shared. Excellent reminders of opening up our homes, no matter the size of home. :o)
Sounds like our home.
Pioneering a church has really been a huge blessing on our children. Though at times it is hard or discouraging the children go on outreach and get to talk to so many new people that come in looking for the Lord. They have even learned to witness just by example.
Wendy
Thank you for visiting me over at the Inspired R yesterday - and I agree, multi-generational hospitality is the best. I've written many posts on that.
Great to read your thoughts :) We could be hospitality sisters :)
My mom and I just read a devotional yesterday together on hospitality. SOmething that stuck out to both of us was that it said, "Each time a new person enters your home, its a time for you to minister to their heart." I love this! Our homes being used for God's glory because He is the one who has blessed us with our homes!
A special pat on the back for you Mom!!!(and Dad). Children learn what their role models teach them, and it looks to me like you are doing a wonderful job! My munchkins are long since grown and have families of their own, but when holiday time (and birthdays) roll around, they are on the phone to find out what Mom is going to cook for them, and how many of the "clan" I can round up :^). It is a joy for me! Even one of the littles wanted to come to Grandmommie and Pa's house for a tea party for her 4th birthday. My heart is STILL smiling!
Blessings to you!
J
PS: I am really enjoying your blog!
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