No pretenses
I’ve become resigned to the fact that when we have guests over something will go wrong, either in the preparations, the children’s behavior, something breaking, the children getting sick, etc. So considering that we open our home quite a bit, that’s an interesting conclusion. Over the course of time, I’ve become wise to this Murphy’s Law/ spiritual warfare element so have begun cooking dinner the morning of having dinner guests. I work on cleaning the house days in advance (which with small children is something of an exercise in futility, but ... I try.).
Last night was no exception to this little rule, this law of nature in the spiritual discipline of hospitality. We opened our home (and consequently life) to a young dating couple. I had no intentions to impress, but knew that if I didn’t plan well in advance I’d be caught out with the inevitable disaster. Grace had had a bit of a sick tummy, so we’d had to clean that up before the day even really began, but she seemed to be fine the rest of the day. I prepared the stuffed manicotti in the morning, baked a scrumptious chocolate cake that I destroyed by trying to tip out to cool before it was actually cool enough to tip out. Lesson #1: When life gives you a destroyed cake, make trifle. We had a fairly uneventful rest of the day, accomplished school an the housecleaning, etc. Dinner was delicious and the trifle was a hit. A smashing hit. So delicious that one of the children twice chased their dish off the edge of the table scraping it clean, the first to no consequence, the second ending with a shattered dessert dish. Mentally, I thought, “Well, there’s our incident for the evening. All pretenses of our family, ‘The PASTOR’S family’, being anything other than pathetically human are hopefully shattered along with that dish. Okay, now we can get on to building a real relationship with this special couple!” The evening and conversation clipped along after we laughed with them about something always happening. Then along about 8:45 a very sleepy toddler with a rather queasy tummy produced her dinner, lots of it, all over the floor. Lesson #2: Never ever, ever entertain the idea of putting carpets down. Italian food and chocolate cake clean up off wood floors much nicer than off a carpet.
The conclusion of the evening? Our new friends know us very well now and washed our dishes while we washed floor and child. Also, I can praise the Lord for the wonderful ways that He gives no opportunity for pride, no need for embarrassment, when we are focused on glorifying Him and not ourselves in His service to others. We pray as a family, “Lord, please make us a blessing to others.” I can only hope (and I know!) that our evening must have been one way that God planned to use us show His grace. He certainly lavishes it on us. At least the kitchen didn’t catch fire!
Last night was no exception to this little rule, this law of nature in the spiritual discipline of hospitality. We opened our home (and consequently life) to a young dating couple. I had no intentions to impress, but knew that if I didn’t plan well in advance I’d be caught out with the inevitable disaster. Grace had had a bit of a sick tummy, so we’d had to clean that up before the day even really began, but she seemed to be fine the rest of the day. I prepared the stuffed manicotti in the morning, baked a scrumptious chocolate cake that I destroyed by trying to tip out to cool before it was actually cool enough to tip out. Lesson #1: When life gives you a destroyed cake, make trifle. We had a fairly uneventful rest of the day, accomplished school an the housecleaning, etc. Dinner was delicious and the trifle was a hit. A smashing hit. So delicious that one of the children twice chased their dish off the edge of the table scraping it clean, the first to no consequence, the second ending with a shattered dessert dish. Mentally, I thought, “Well, there’s our incident for the evening. All pretenses of our family, ‘The PASTOR’S family’, being anything other than pathetically human are hopefully shattered along with that dish. Okay, now we can get on to building a real relationship with this special couple!” The evening and conversation clipped along after we laughed with them about something always happening. Then along about 8:45 a very sleepy toddler with a rather queasy tummy produced her dinner, lots of it, all over the floor. Lesson #2: Never ever, ever entertain the idea of putting carpets down. Italian food and chocolate cake clean up off wood floors much nicer than off a carpet.
The conclusion of the evening? Our new friends know us very well now and washed our dishes while we washed floor and child. Also, I can praise the Lord for the wonderful ways that He gives no opportunity for pride, no need for embarrassment, when we are focused on glorifying Him and not ourselves in His service to others. We pray as a family, “Lord, please make us a blessing to others.” I can only hope (and I know!) that our evening must have been one way that God planned to use us show His grace. He certainly lavishes it on us. At least the kitchen didn’t catch fire!
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