The Magic of Hospitality

Peanut butter and jelly. A salad with some simple toppings. Scrambled eggs and toast. Cheese and crackers. Muffins and fruit. Goldfish and Cheerios. Pizza.

Simple foods. Nothing fancy on this list.

But when someone else makes them?

Decadent.

That's the magic of hospitality.

Hosting friends does not require a gourmet spread. The only requirement is a thoughtful, caring heart, and it will transfer to the food, to the home and to the conversation. I can't explain it. All I know is that I've experienced it. I still daydream about the English muffins my mom would fix for me after the birth of my twins.

I can find all kinds of reasons why I can't host friends or a play date, and it usually involves the word "enough." I don't have enough time, enough food, enough seats, the house isn't clean enough, and my kids may not behave enough. However, every time I open our home, it is enough.

Any pretense is undone when we approach hospitality with this simple lens. After all, what is truer than peanut butter and jelly? What is more honest than scrambled eggs and fruit? When our main concern is loving well, the food takes a back seat while still filling our bellies, but somehow touching our souls, too.

In the book of Matthew, there is a story about Jesus feeding a large crowd with five loaves and two fish. Talk about not feeling like enough! How could such a small amount of food feed a large crowd of over 5,000 people? It did and Jesus wasn't worried that it would be enough. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. (Matthew 14:20) I am not saying your food will multiply, but your hospitality will be enough. It will satisfy. The simplest meal coupled with a warm, open heart is a feast for those needing a place to be themselves, a place to belong.

Please don't allow the lie of "not enough" keep you from inviting other into your home. We miss out on so much when we choose to let that like dictate our offers of hospitality. Those we would invite into our homes are denied the soul-filling, belly-filling time that we all so desperately need.

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Bethany Howard lives in Tucker Georgia where she serves scrambled eggs with avocado and tops it with Sriracha and calls it gourmet. She writes about the moments that challenge her to search for kindling to fuel joy, love, and growth in everyday life. You can read more of her work at bethanyhoward.com.