When did you see a stranger and invite him in?
Matthew 25:34-45
We were only in Turkey for a week and a half, but the people showed us so much hospitality! Even if we didn’t have much time we were always offered at least Turkish tea or Apple tea (both of which we really enjoyed). While we were traveling we even had a guy offer to let us come to his house to shower…. He had seen us sleep on the deck of the ferry sprawled over our bags (obviously desperate for sleep). When we arrived at his place he even ran out to get us something to eat and drink for breakfast.
Now I know this might be the best idea for most of us … I am definitely not suggesting that you pick up the first person / traveler you meet and offer to let them ‘make themselves at home.’ That could be a little scary!
But have you asked the guest speaker or missionary over for dinner? Or invited the first time visitor to the church out to coffee or lunch after church? Or offered to have a friend who is traveling through to stay at your place instead of at a hotel, even going to the extent of having a welcome basket or breakfast made for them?
We had a family show up at our camp site with chicken soup … they knew that our budget was tight, that we were limited in what we could cook, so they brought dinner for us. For them it was just something small they could do for us, but for us it was amazing! It was good / healthy food in our belly, and a little taste of home. It’s not the quantity or even the quality that counts, it’s the heart and attitude that you do it with.
To our surprise the often the places that we have loved the most on this trip are the ones where the people have been the most hospitable. The people who have shown us hospitality have changed our view of the beauty of a country.
So maybe you can’t invite in a stranger … but you can feed the hungry, give something to drink to the thirsty, care for the sick, give clothes to those in need, and visit those who are lonely. Who can you bless this week? This month? This year?
