I recently finished reading a book called
"Open Heart Open Home: How to find joy through sharing your home with others" by Karen Burton Mains. It is about the spiritual gift of hospitality and gives great Biblical insight in regards to using your home as a place for ministering to others. It discussed the difference between entertaining, where the emphasis is on keeping appearances, as opposed to hospitality where real interacting takes place. Entertaining revolves around the desire to impress others with your home and your abilities as a cook inevitably leaving you feeling trapped by the need for perfection and allowing pride to flourish. What would happen instead if we were real with ourselves and others by leaving the dishes stacked next to the sink and instead focused on praying over the house and for those that you are going to share a meal with, allowing Jesus to join the meal and move in all the hearts at the table? I received great encouragement and a new perspective thanks to Karen! I am in the beginning steps of learning to share my home with others and am praying for God to grow the spiritual gift of hospitality in me. I have great hopes for our home to be a place where others are welcomed and find True Life and healing here and for Kyle and me to remember our home is not our own but is for the Lord to use in whatever way He chooses! Some quotes: Page 137 "In this inhospitable world a Christian home is a miracle to be shared." "If we understand that we are stewards to a divine Master, we must consider why we are in this place at this time in this town." FYI: I read the 1976 edition (I think that is when it was originally published) and there are many copies on ebay for very reasonable (cheap) prices if you are interested...or let me know if you wanna borrow it, Kyle wants to read it soon but after that I would be glad to send it your way! I recently bought my own signed copy for $3! I have never owned a signed copy of a book...it's pretty cool! Thank you sister who let me borrow the book after her mother-in-law, Pat Gerstmyer, lent the book to her, love it!
