Stelzl Family

Today my feet hit the ground running as the old saying goes! Everybody scattered to do their part as we got ready to have a couple over at 9:30 AM to begin viewing the basic seminar. These were two “new” friends. We were meeting the wife for the first time. Bethany and I headed for the bonus room with Timmy in tow to clean and iron. David put away the mini trampoline in the bonus room and then headed for his cleaning assignment in the girl’s room and the boy’s bathroom. Sarah went off to clean the girl’s bathroom. Hannah began Josiah’s phonics lesson. By 9:30 we were ready with a clean bonus room, snacks, beverages, registration form and workbooks and a comfortable atmosphere. Our new friends arrived and were ushered upstairs to see the first two sessions.

Meanwhile…the weekly cleaning and schooling continued while I put the finishing touches on my outline for this afternoon when I would be speaking to a class of girls about hospitality. I finished 2 minutes before our friends finished watching the seminar tapes and came down for lunch with us. We had a nice lunch as we got to know them better and talked about the seminar contents.

At 1:00 David’s friends were arriving for a birthday play day while Sarah and I dashed off to my speaking engagement. When we got there, things were getting started a little late, and there was some concern about finishing the class on time. There was going to be a meal, so I offered to speak while they all ate instead of eating and then speaking (since I had just eaten with our new friends I wasn’t hungry anyway!) I really enjoyed sharing with the girls about hospitality!

We returned home at about 3:00 to see the boys all playing football in the backyard. I came in and checked on the status of the home bacause you see, our dear friends the Neely’s are coming tonight to spend the next two nights with us. They are a precious family of 12 who are coming for the Charlotte NRA conference. We can’t wait to see them! I found that Hannah and Bethany had done a great job setting up the bonus room with an air mattress, a twin mattress,  several sleeping bags and pads, towels, porta crib, etc. Whew, what a relief! Soon it was time to cut the birthday cake and open presents with the boys. I had a brief visit with my dear friend Sonja while the boys ate their cake. We said goodbye to all the boys and were on to the next phase of our day.

Back in the kitchen, Sarah and I made a giant fruit salad for tomorrows breakfast for 21 Hannah and David ran to the store for more fruit (didn’t you know Hannah is driving now?  ) After the fruit salad was complete, I sat down (for the first time today?) to write this post.

So why did I plan all of this into one day? Well, it’s because I enjoy hospitality so much! Today most people think hospitality is having friends over and “hanging out.” The word hospitality actually means “stranger, hostile stranger, loving strangers.” God showed us hospitality when he died for us in our state of hostility toward Him. He wants us to follow His example. According to this root word meaning, hospitality is reaching out, meeting needs, putting others before yourself, and not only toward our closest friends, but toward hostile strangers. Did you know that hospitality is not a gift or a talent, but it is a command! If a widow has not shown hospitality she can not be considered a “widow indeed,” and is not qualified to be cared for by the church. The Proverbs 31 woman is characterized by this kind of hospitality. A man cannot qualify for the position of elder if he is not “given to hospitality.” And finally, Paul says to “the brethren” (that is ALL Believers,) be given to hospitality! To be given to something is to be characterized by it, to be known for it, to be consumed with it. There is no person excluded from this command, not men, not elderly, not children, not any believer. This is not a “female” thing. It is a believer’s duty, to be joyfully carried out so we can be examples of the love and hospitality of God toward us.

I personally love hospitality because I am an exhorter and I love to see people grow in their walk with the LORD. I also love meeting needs and just being able to host people making them comfortable and doing special things for them. Was today busy? Was today a little crazy? Was I out of my mind to do all of this in one day? Perhaps, but it has been fun and oh so gratifying knowing my efforts have made a difference in the lives of people.

I have to thank my family for the privilege of showing hospitality, because without my family members working as a team, I would be in a puddle of tears on the floor somewhere trying to get it all done. If it were not for them, I could only dream of having the kind of hospitality ministry we have. There was a time I used to cry, because Dave did not want to have people over. (I have permission to share this ) He would say, “A man’s home is his castle, and I want to enjoy mine in peace and solitude.” God transformed him, and today he is soooo hospitable. He loves it almost as much as I do. What is the key to this kind of hospitality? It all begins with our attitudes. Do we have a selfish attitude, only thinking of our personal comfort and convenience? Or do we love our neighbor and desire to impact the lives of others by serving and sacrifice? Dave did not know the satisfaction and wonderful feeling of accomplishment he was missing as he was “enjoying” his peace and solitude. As God changed his attitude, he began to see the magnitude of what he was missing out on. I am so thankful those years of selfish solitude are over, my tears are dried, and I can spend a wonderful day like today!

Today was a very busy day! Today was one of the most wonderful, gratifying, satisfying days! And it is not over. Our friends are on their way, and today will end with smiles of welcome and warm fellowship. What could be better? Thanks to Dave, Hannah, Sarah, David, Bethany, Jonathan, Josiah, and yes, even not-so-tiny-Timmy for enabling me as the lady of the house to be hospitable!

Tags: Birthday Parties, Cleaning House, Hospitality, the Neely Family

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 13th, 2010 at 9:50 pm and is filed under Friends & Fellowship, Team Projects. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.