Hospitality, Shloshpitality

Dear older, kinder, wiser, women and other people of the human race,

Lately I have had quite the concerns about hospitality. When coming to ones house the host often and probably should according to “the rules” offers something. I’ve come across a plethora of hosts in my small almost a quarter of century life. People who offer everything to their personal towel for a shower in their personal bathroom to people who just offer water. No matter which situation I always get nervous, is it okay to accept, or do “the rules” prohibit ever accepting? I wonder if some people are just following conventions and will begrudge me later, or if they are sincerely practicing hospitality. 

I think part of practicing hospitality is accepting what is being offered to you, not just giving. It’s a pleasure to receive. I find that some people will only give or only take. We should do both. Giving reminds us that our things are materials that one day will rot or rust. Taking reminds us that we are relational beings, that we need others. We shouldn’t be ashamed to take something offered to us. Sometime it’ll be our own turn to give. Also, our lives shouldn’t be solely giving. We’ll wear ourselves out. Both are apart of practicing hospitality in order to build up the church.

Take for example our relationship with God. God gives us an abundance of goodness, more than we could ever ask, and in return we give him 10% back. But does God really need us to give him things? No, and yet he takes it and builds us up more. We can freely give and freely take whether we need it or not.

So, this is really a post to tell you if you offer me coffee, donuts, a ride, your underwear, your towel, your personal super awesome modern shower, your wine, your beer, your time….I WILL take it. And whatever’s mine you can totes have too.

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