Hospitality

By Pastor Paul Gauche

Today’s Word: Hospitality as in… the words’ hospitality‘ and ‘hospital‘ are kindred spirits.

Showing hospitality provides a place for healing, wholeness, life, and aliveness to thrive.

I recently visited with a friend who was recuperating from surgery at a local hospital. During our time together, several visitors came by. Nurses came to check medications. A doctor stopped by to provide an important update and answer questions. A member of the housekeeping team stepped in to freshen things up. Each time someone entered the room, there was a knock, a greeting, a smile, and a kind, helpful, and encouraging word. There seemed to be a great amount of hospitality in the hospital. It was gracious and authentic. It was hopeful and encouraging. It was powerfully healing.

It’s easy to overlook the power of hospitality in our daily lives. We may not always experience such gracious receptions as we go about our daily routines. And, honestly, we may not always show hospitality to others. But showing hospitality can be powerfully healing.

Mother Teresa, reflecting on the gift of hospitality, once said, “People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway. If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway. What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today will often be forgotten. Do good anyway. Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.“

Leaning into kindness, honesty, creativity, forgiveness, happiness, and doing your best today for the sake of someone else is showing powerful hospitality.

Thriving Reflections:

++ Recall an act of hospitality that you experienced that impressed you.

++ How do you show hospitality to others?

++ What gets in the way of showing hospitality?

++ How does showing and receiving hospitality help you thrive?

#100days50words

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Paul Gauche is the Pastor of Life Transitions at Prince of Peace. His posts are part of his #100days50words project, where he blogs about a different word each week. You can follow his project on Instagram (@pgauche) or his blog, Thriving Rhythms.