Hostess-With-The-Mostest
When I was young my dad (who is a pastor of a small non-denominational church in the “inner city”) would take me with him on his house calls to different family’s homes from our church. Some people were rich. Some people were poor. Some people didn’t have anything at all. I never paid attention to the differences between classes until we visited one woman in particular.
I don’t recall her name, but I will never forget her. I’ve never known such hospitality. Let’s call her Diana. When we walked into “Diana’s” home you were in the living room which was also the dining room. Everything was pretty compact. There was a distinct smell of baby diapers and grease from cooking. Diana’s couch was torn. I could stick my fingers through the fibers and press on the foam underneath. I have a vague memory of a baby crying at one point, but they must have been in another room napping. Regardless, that baby was not Diana’s. Diana was old. Her gray hair gave her away. Every child knows if you have gray hair then you are OLD (In fact at the ripe old age of 35, I’ve ALSO been working on my gray count. I’m definitely getting up there).
I’ve always been a pretty observant person. Even as a kid. I noticed that Diana’s clothes were stained, but she didn’t draw attention to it like others normally do with apologies or blaming. Diana was a large woman (like my mom), with a really sweet disposition; very motherly and kind. When we came through the door she embraced us and welcomed us into her home as quickly as she could. She was suffering in her body. She moved like my mom in her knees. Her face was pained at times when she walked. But she made us sit right away and said “put up your feet!”. “You hungry?” she asked but didn’t wait for a reply. She promptly began making us food: bologna sandwiches if memory serves me right. She also gave me Kool-aid which was a real treat. It was Hawaiian punch flavor; my favorite!
Diana and my dad talked for a while. What they talked about, I have no idea. I didn’t really care what older people had to say at that point in my life. They always seemed to talk about things like “insurance” or “groceries” or “How God speaks through His Holy Spirit.” I didn’t know much about that Holy Spirit, except that when a lady at church got the Holy Spirit one time, she ran around crying and singing and waving some crazy banners all over the place. Weird. Anyway. The one thing that sticks with me, to this day, is: here is where it finally registered in my mind what poverty was. In the same breath, this is my strongest, earliest memory of what it meant to be served and cared for by someone else. The juxtaposition and symbiosity of having so little while also being so generosity blows my mind. This woman was poor, of a different race than us and was physically suffering in her body, and she served us like we were royalty. I felt the weight of her love.
It’s got to be at least 25 years since I was at “Diane’s” house, but I remember so many details about our visit with her. The moment was very significant to me and still is. And this time of year I think it’s important to adjust our points of view to the humility of Christ and how Christ came to save the lowly, the meek and those in need: you and I. We are all truly nothing and no one without Christ. There’s a revelation about Jesus that believers who are impoverished understand way better than people who have comfortable life styles. I think Diana understood that and from that heart revelation she loved and served so well.
As I reflect on this memory again, I’m sobered to my own pride and privilege. I have so much to learn about hospitality, service, and generosity of spirit. God is all about using the truly humble and meek to blow our minds about His true character and how He wants us to actually live in relationship to one another. Thank you God for Diana and her example that blesses my life even now.
Here is my own personal challenge and food for thought for others:
May I never be too proud to have people over when my house is “a mess” or when I feel a mess. Lord, let me never rob you of an opportunity to shine bright in my weakness.
May I never be too proud to serve what I have to feed people who are hungry. Even if they aren’t hungry! How can I show that I care, Lord?
May I be quick to serve others before myself.
May I always consider others better than myself - Jesus, my King, you came as a servant to us all. I want to be like you. I want to be like Diana, a saint who has gone before me.
Thank you, Jesus, for you are merciful to us as we grow and learn Your ways. We look to you, Jesus our King, who came as a baby into this world to save us from our sin. Lord, you are truly amazing, beyond description! We love you, Father God. We joyfully anticipate Christmas, the day of your birth. Even more we say come again, Lord Jesus. We long for your second and final coming. You are our Savior and King.
Hallelujah!