Hospitality When You Have Little To Offer
Entering a certain friend’s home was one of the greatest pleasures of my youth. Her dining room seemed to glow with warmth, just like her smile upon my arrival. Seated in her company, I felt embraced, contented, satisfied. I daydreamed about creating that kind of atmosphere in my own home someday.
Years later, I found myself as a wife and a mother with a never-ending to-do list. I had not forgotten my dream of welcoming guests through my door, but how could I be ready for hospitality when messes followed quick on the heels of my cleaning efforts, and the groceries seemed to nearly always be depleted? How could I give of my time to guests when I could barely keep up with my own family?
Then a two-word phrase in Genesis 24 made me pause. The maiden Rebekah had welcomed Abraham’s servant and his caravan into her family‘s home, assuring him that she had “provender enough” for them during their stay.
Provender enough.
She was prepared to care for their needs, to make them feel at home. The word provender implies simple fare, quite possibly the bare essentials – yet she offered what she had so freely. In that moment of selfless hospitality, she never imagined she was about to be blessed in a way that would be life-changing.
My heart was moved to consider how I could be prepared to offer hospitality like this. After all, the smallest courtesy on my part could mean the world to someone else. My humblest offerings could touch the lives of others in ways they’d remember forever.
Ultimately, I realized I need only to selflessly choose to care for others in the time that our paths cross, and if I do that, I can be assured I will always have provender enough.
Five years ago, I composed the preceding essay as a collaboration with the YouTube channel Inspired by Nikki. Nikki Moreno and Brian Rosenfield brought my words to life in a beautiful video, which you can watch here.
Practical Tips
While the mindset of caring for those God brings into our lives is incredibly important, it’s helpful to have a plan of action. What do we do if our house is a mess and the groceries are depleted?
One option is to welcome guests anyway. This requires some humility – few of us are comfortable with people seeing a less-than-presentable version of our home. But look back on times when hospitality was shown to you. You likely enjoyed yourself regardless of whether the host’s house was perfectly tidy.
Another strategy is to tidy one space and host there. Close doors – nobody needs to see the rest of the house. (Don’t forget to check the bathroom guests will use!)
Yet another idea is to practice hospitality outside the home. Have a visit in your backyard or on your front porch, and bypass the indoors altogether. Invite a friend to spend an hour catching up at a local coffee shop. Ask a mama or two to join you with all the children for a bring-your-own-picnic lunch at the park. Take a home-baked treat to someone who needs some support.
As for food, I’ll be vulnerable and tell you that many times in the past, we’ve had just enough in the fridge to make it to payday, and it was HARD for me to be generous. (Surely some kind of survival instinct.) My incredibly generous husband has always helped balance out my occasional stinginess.
There’s always SOME way to be hospitable. Offer your guests water (please, ALWAYS offer your guests water), and serve it with aplomb. If you have coffee or tea to share, there’s another lovely gesture.
A few tidbits in dishes or on a charcuterie board (nuts, pickles, raisins, apple wedges, cheese slices, crackers, even chocolate chips!) offer refreshment without sabotaging your family’s meal plan. Other easy ideas are chips and salsa, popcorn, or a plate of cookies.
And if you do need to host a meal, consider how you can feed your crowd without too much strain – something like taco bowls, where rice and beans can play the main role.
Once you start thinking creatively, you’ll come up with multiple ways to be a blessing to others in your current season of life. That mental preparation coupled with heart preparation will make it much easier to joyfully accept the opportunities for hospitality that God will bring your way. 🌿
