by 
Practice Hospitality
By Janet W
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
Hospitality. It’s one of humanity’s most ancient needs and has been around since the earliest days. God even taught hospitality in the Garden! As easy as the term hospitality sounds, not all of us are good at it. I, for one, am guilty of not always putting on my best for my sisters and brothers in Christ. (Can you say ”tiny house?” I still struggle with my own weakness in this area-and constantly have to remind myself that one does not need a mansion, or bags of money, in order to be hospitable!)
Some of the most precious hospitality gifts can come disguised in the smallest packages and from the meekest of the Earth. Take the innkeeper on that fateful night. Mary and Joseph were desperate-they had nowhere else to turn. The innkeeper had very little to offer. There was no room left. And yet, he offered them what he could: A tiny, cramped, smelly, barely-good-enough-for-the-animals space in a stable.
And yet…imagine Mary’s comfort at NOT having to deliver him completely exposed in the harsh night. It was at least warm, somewhat dry-at least it was shelter. God had promised them He would provide, and God did.
As we journey with Mary and Joseph toward that preordained manger and the birth of our Messiah, we can focus our hearts on the amazing gifts of hospitality they (and we) receive along the way-even the smallest, meekest ones. And maybe learn from them. And perhaps entertain some angels ourselves.
Prayer: Gracious, warm, all-giving God-just as you unselfishly gave us the greatest gift of your Son, Jesus the Christ, we ask that You fill us up until our hearts are overflowing with kindness and hospitality-toward all humankind, strangers and friends. Amen
