Open home

The condo is officially open for visitors and dinner guests, though I'm still (and will be for a while yet) unpacking. The original card group came for dinner and play on Friday, and fun was had by all. My friends are very gracious, complimenting the house while ignoring the stacks of partially-full boxes.

Flush with the success of Friday's dinner, I've started inviting people for lunch next Sunday. The Packers have a bye week, which will make it a bit easier to actually fill the house (why yes, in Wisconsin you really do have to take things like that into account; now, if I had a 50" plasma TV and invited people to lunch on a Sunday, I'd have no problem finding guests!).

Did you know that showing hospitality is a command from God?

Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

1 Peter 4:9

Hospitality, at its heart, isn't about the meal, the house or the decor, but about connecting with people. As Sandy Coughlin says at her excellent blog Reluctant Entertainer, "Hospitality is not about you. It's about making others feel warm and welcome."

Peter finishes the sentence by reminding us we are to be hospitable "without grumbling". Entertaining shouldn't be a chore, but a joy, as we invite people not only into our homes, but into our lives. It's more about open hearts than open houses, sharing feelings than sharing food.

How hospitable is your heart?