Happy May Day. Don't foget to celebrate--leave some May Day baskets at friends, neighbors, or even strangers' homes--practice hospitality! My mom was great at sending us around the neighborhood to older neighbors' homes with our construction paper/doily baskets filled with bridal wreath spirea, irises and cookies. I also have wound a Maypole(!!) in an elementary school program. Now those are ways to bring in May!
The National Day of Prayer is another good way to begin May. Attend a gathering, or open your home for a group, or pray by yourself--but pray!!
Your Prayer Closet
Do you have a special area set aside to have a quiet time with God and pray? Not a whole closet, but maybe a quiet, comfortable chair--make a prayer basket to have with you. This idea is either from Joyce Landorf or EmilieBarnes, or maybe both. Fill a basket with your Bible, Devotions guide, tissues, pens, paper, and "Thinking of you" note cards. Start your day here, or make an appointment that works for you. The things in your basket will keep you from wandering off--and help you to follow through on good intentions. Sometimes God brings someone to mind when you're praying and you think, "I should drop them a note", then you forget. Speaking as the poster girl for good intentions but lousy follow-through, having a card right there might actually enable me to get it done!
Cyndy Salzmann in her book, Making Your Home a Haven, has a great chapter called "Finding a Quiet Place". As all moms know, the only place you can really be alone is the bathroom--if you lock the door. Having tried this myself, I was not suprised with her experiences--the kids slipped notes under the door and spent their time talking/knocking on the other side. She then read about Susannah Wesley, mother of John and Charles Wesley. She would pull her apron up over her head to pray, and all the children would know not to bother her. When Cyndy tried this, she was constantly distrubed by the children's giggles and laughter. Not what she was going for. Her final try was a notebook to write her prayers--can be done anytime, anywhere. If you're interrupted, you can pick it right back up. I mentioned the Mom's prayer group I'm in (Caring for Kids blog) and when we look back over our prayer lists, we're amazed at how God has worked!
We're told in the Bible to "pray without ceasing", and of course, you can pray anywhere. Pray while you're ironing your husband's shirts, pray for your kids for their day when tidying up their areas, pray for your town while out walking/driving. I pray for students I work with at school. (You'd better believe there is prayer in schools--many of us have been doing it for years, just not always out loud--God hears us either way!)
Abraham Lincoln once said he had been driven to his knees to pray many times because he had nowhere else to go. So.....whether you find a quiet spot, keep a prayer journal, go about your day, or go to your knees, Pray!!!
Putting hands and feet to our prayers
Being a"Martha"type, sometimes when I'm praying I think about what that person needs done--what would bless them in terms of a physical action. I really need to be more intentional about serving others--again, I have good intentions but get distracted and forget to put the intentions into deeds. When I do manage to carry out my thoughts, it is such a blessing--to me! (Hopefully the other person feels blessed, but it is such a priviledge to try to be part of God's answers to someone's needs)
Practicing Hospitality--do it with heart, not perfection!
What do you think of when you hear the hospitality word? I always thought it meant having the house in order and a good meal ready at a moment's notice to entertain. Then I read the book Table Talk, by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg. Mimi recalls growing up as a missionary child in Zaire--the nearest grocery store was two countries away, but her family entertained any travelers needing a meal and a place to spend the night.(This meant Mimi would give up her bed and sleep in the bathtub, with the stopper in, to keep out snakes!)
This book pretty much takes away any of our slick magazine picture ideas of having to have things perfect before we open our homes and lives to others!
Some of the definitions I've come across for hospitality are: seeing needs in others and reaching out to meet them; encouraging others; and making people feel loved and welcome.
The Bible tells us, "Be hospitable to one another without complaint." God may want to accomplish something in our guests' lives, or in ours, if we're willing to share what we have to bless others. Mimi and Mary Beth change our ideas again by telling us to focus on what we do have, not what we don't--"a fireplace, a big shade tree, a patio, a great coffee cake recipe. It's not the decor or even the menu that's important." (p.91,TableTalk) You free other people to practice hospitality when you can have them over in less than perfect conditions!
The most important key to hospitality is having a giving heart attitude, focusing on the other person's needs instead of your desire to make a good impression. I really enjoy having company, but too often I think things have to be a certain way and wear myself out and then can't enjoy my company. Remind you of anyone? I have always identified with Martha in the story of Mary and Martha in the Bible. She wanted to honor Jesus with things being "just right". Mary made her guest feel welcome by giving Him her full attention.
Preparing to be Hospitable
For me, I've learned to be organized before-hand so I can relax when I have guests or can meet a need. This means:
- keeping living room, guest bath and kitchen fairly clean (or a fast pick-up routine!)
-having a guestroom or bed ready to go with clean linens and clean guest towels, even a basket with magazines, guest size samples of shampoos, etc.
-keeping snack foods in the pantry,cookies and ice cream in the freezer
-cooking ground beef and chicken ahead of time and freezing in meal-sized plastic bags to prepare quick meals (tacos, spaghetti, chicken enchiladas,casseroles)
NOTE--these things are not necessary, but helpful if you're a "Martha" like me--the most important thing is to make your guests feel welcome and at home!
Being hospitable away from home
This was a new concept for me, but one I was doing anyway--mostly. Now I pay more attention to those around me.
- if you carry a purse, stock it with some pain relievers, decongestants, safety pins, and band aids. As a parent, teacher and activity sponsor traveling with kids to events, I learned to be prepared even with tape and a mending kit. I love those Swiss Army knives and have a small one of those, too, with all the neat tools. You never know when a safety pin or something else will save the day. Once at State Music Contest, we made a quick fix of gum to hold a loose clarinet pad! (This is your chance to be a female McGyver--remember that show?) I don't always carry a purse, but I've made plastic bags full of these supplies plus plastic gloves for our car glove boxes.
-be hospitable, meet others' needs or show encouragement standing in lines, waiting for appointments, and traveling. Look for ways you can help, even if it is just by smiling and being welcoming to new people at church or those in other situations who are alone. A warm smile and a kind word don't cost us any'thing but could make someone else's day--or give them the strength to keep on. I've been in situations where someone's kind attention made me feel welcome and helped me through some hard times.
Keep praying and look for ways to be hospitable!
