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expect anything in return. An example of this is when my friend, Melanie, watched my

four kids for me one day. Her kids were older, so she did not need me to watch hers. I felt

guilty. Then she said, “Just do the same for someone else sometime.” This was a great

example to me as a young mom. Even though she was my age, she was willing to help

me, even when I didn’t understand her selfless act at that time. I could not return this

favor to her, but I could learn from it, remember it, and do the same for someone else

when I could.

Hospitality became such a huge part of my mindset that I find myself wanting to

welcome others even if my home is not at its best. I think the key is that I don’t want to

worry about the mess at eleven at night while a hurting someone needs to share their

heart. Does that mean I don’t care about the mess and I don’t work at making my house

ready? No. I get concerned if I have a pile of laundry or dishes in the sink, but I will not

shut someone out if they need me. Taking time despite my house looking too “casual”

also involves taking time for my family, too. I want my home to be a haven for my family

also, and I pray to God that I always make them feel more important to me than a sink

full of dishes or laundry piled in the hallway.

Last year, I attended a ladies’ retreat, and the speaker shared her heart regarding

hospitality. One of the things that spoke to me was that she had made a map of her

neighborhood. Every time she met a neighbor, she would go inside and quickly write

their name down on the house they lived in so she would not forget their name. That is

so great. How many times have I talked to someone only to forget their name or which

house they live in? We are new to our neighborhood, so I confess that I have only visited

with a few of our neighbors. People don’t sit on their front porches anymore, so we don’t