Do I have to?

Hospitality

Practicing hospitality with little ones looks a little different than it does on TV. In my house it looks a lot different.

Rewind several years ago I went from having a ten year old to having a ten year old, 2 ½ year old, fourteen month old, and 6 week old baby. Literally overnight. I don’t want to do that whole nine month thing that everyone else is into. Nope I jump right in! I have to find humor in it ok.

So in that time frame I had an influx of stuff. Imagine what one baby comes with then multiply it times three. I should preface all that by saying that one; our house is not big, especially for seven people in it. Second, cleaning has always been a challenge to me.

On top of the pressure of being a new mommy I had the extra pressure to get my house into shape. Two of my new children came with Birth to 3 services. I don’t know if that’s the same in every state but Birth to 3 is basically in home services for kids not meeting their milestones and need help in different areas. So not only did I have an influx of people coming to meet the little ones but I had our state DCF system to check on them and almost daily Birth to 3 service people.

Oh and did I mention that my husband had to leave two weeks after they came to us, for military training. Yeah, Good times. I say it sarcastically in my mind, but in the middle of that mess was beauty. I had three children that I had been praying for.

I had friends that kept telling me not to worry about the mess. And so often we are told the mess will be there when our kids are grown, we can clean then. Um well I say no. Yes I play with my kids and give them all the love in the world. Yet this home is where my kids will learn hospitality.

So often in the bible are we reminded to practice hospitality. It doesn’t say “Practice hospitality when your kids are grown and out of the house.” I looked, it really doesn’t. There are tons of other verses in the bible though about practicing hospitality toward one another.

So if I don’t teach my children how to clean up and I don’t keep a clean house, am I following Gods instruction? I say no. Now don’t get your panties in a twist. I’m not saying that people should be able to eat off your floors but it needs to be clean, picked up, Welcoming.

I have five kids and trust me, my house is lived in. Yet every day we pick up after every meal. Every night we do the floors (mostly because of the two dogs). My mud room falls apart a bit but during the snow season I try to give myself some grace with that.

We have an open door policy and still I have birth to three in my house every day for my littlest, being a MOPS leader I try to have women over. Over the years we have had life groups and dinner parties. Our house is not huge so during the winter months we need to get creative with space. Yet my husband and I feel that God blessed us with this house to practice hospitality and that’s what we do.

Hospitality does not come easy to me. I had to learn by fire so to speak. The one piece of advice I always remember about being hospitable is to make people to feel welcomed. If our house was a disaster and not clean do you think people would feel welcomed? Probably not, they might be afraid to sit.

If this whole post is just making you anxious – ask for help. I did. You’d be surprised how quickly a friendship can grow when they are helping you sort through your stuff. Some people are very gifted in organization. Ask them for help, there is no shame in it. Showing hospitality looks very different to each of us. I know in my heart it’s important though, it wouldn’t be mentioned so many times in the bible if it weren’t.

Be blessed.