God says these are the marks of a true Christian. To love and to give and to serve and to pray eagerly.
And there is something beautifully unique about the developing world. The people in the communities we have visited have a keen grasp on how to truly live this way. They have a freedom to embrace giving. And there is a heightened level of hospitality that lives among the people that has deeply changed how I view serving others.
Time after time we have walked into homes of people that hardly have enough to feed themselves. And they have offered, no, insisted on serving us in any way they can. They offer food almost immediately, they open their hearts to complete strangers, they share eagerly, and they have ever open front doors to all of their friends, neighbors, and any one walking by with a want or need.
They don’t see an entitlement for what they have. They understand what it is to have and to have not, and they give eagerly even when the world tells them they don’t have “enough” to give.
The weight of what it truly means to be hospitable hit me this month when we walked into a home in Romania and were promptly served traditional Romanian food even before we had time to take a seat. And honestly, I can’t count how many times I have been offered food or drinks in a home of a multi generation family of 10 or more that live in a one-bedroom house… they give the only food that they have in their cupboards without hesitation. They honor guests highly. And because of the value they see for the people that enter their homes, they give freely.
Whether they know it or not, they live in a way that is truly Christ. They have the marks of a giving spirit and loving heart, and they seek to show a genuine and unconditional level of true hospitality.
When I look at Colin and my life before the world race I ask myself… how eager were we to serve? How open was our door to our neighbors? To be honest, we didn’t even know the people that lived across the hall from us and didn’t jump at the chance to serve those that came in our house to honor and reflect the love of God.
The developing world has this right. And I hope to remember and bring back this level of true hospitality to our daily lives when Colin and I return.
UPDATE: Our squad is leaving tomorrow to head to Moldova…. That is right! Our route was changed, and instead of going to Bulgaria we will be serving during our 10th month in Grigorauca, Moldova. I am sad to leave Romania. It was such a blessing to get to serve through Hope Church by doing house visits, leading in kids’ clubs, speaking in churches, and helping the local missionaries in whatever capacity was needed. But I am also excited to see what God has in store for us in Moldova.
Til next time…
