Welcome them in... even when you're unprepared

My monthly ladies group is currently working through a bible study about hospitality this season. Last night as I was working through my study (i.e. - playing catch up... I know, I know) the author tells a story of a time when she was travelling abroad. She found herself in an unknown place with nowhere to go and not knowing anyone in that country. She shared how she made call after call through a list of recommendations she'd been given, and no one had room for a guest. Finally, the last person she called had no room, but after pleading that person allowed the author to sleep with another guest at their hostel.

The author then posed a question of "have you ever experienced a similar experience of welcome"?

I thought about that question for a moment, and I tried to remember a time that I was just desperate and out of options. Then, I remembered! About 6 years ago, I too experienced a similar situation.

Well - that was fast

I was working as a secretary for the education department of our local healthcare system at the time, and we were suddenly hit with a massive snow storm that left a 6-8 inch snow blanket on the ground. I could usually get from my front door to my office in less than 20 minutes. I remember the day well - it had been cold and the weatherman was calling for snow, but nothing really gave cause for concern. We had a lot going on at work, and no one really wanted to leave since there wasn't anything happening outside. My husband had gotten out of class early, so he picked out daughter up from daycare on his way home. It started to flurry a little bit, and I remember my boss kept looking out the window to keep an eye on what was going on. Finally, the decision was made to close the office an hour or so early to get home safely, but that wouldn't quite be the case for me that day.

I made my way down the main street in town which was riddled with a ton of traffic. What normally took 5-10 minutes to get down to the interstate took almost an hour. I remember being on the phone with my husband and checking in periodically so he wouldn't worry about me.

Finally, I made it to the interstate. Traffic was moving (a little slower than the usual 60-70 mph. but it was moving). Well, that didn't last long. About 2 miles down the road, it was a DEAD stop! Traffic was not moving AT ALL. I thought to myself, really? I just want to go home. So there I sat. In the same spot. For over an hour. I was literally one exit down from mine. 5 miles and a 10 minute drive separated me from home... oh and the pouring down snow. It was hammering down. I called my husband for another check-in and trying to figure out an option, when he suddenly said, "the news just reported that I-26 has been shut down." Well, hmm. What am I supposed to do now? Sleep in my car? on the interstate?

I was SUPER close to some dear friends' home, so I called them to ask how the roads were out that way and explained that I was stuck on the interstate. My thought was that I could just drive on the back highway and go home that way. To my dismay, that road too was deadlocked with traffic... and the snow was getting worse. These sweet friends immediately asked if I was able to make it to their house? They told me that I could stay with them until the snow let up. They were just about a mile or two away from my location. I could see the exit ramp from where I was sitting and there wasn't really much traffic that way, so I drove down the shoulder of the interstate and took off toward their house...

Come on in!

When I arrived, "Mr. Mentor" was all bundled up and walked to the top of his driveway to direct me on where to park. As soon as I got out of the car, I was greeted with a big hug, a smile, and a joke! Then I made my way down the hill to the front door where "Mrs. Mentor" welcomed me in with another big hug, a smile, and maybe a little twinge of disappointment that I didn't have the baby with me! LOL! These sweet friends welcomed me into a warm, cozy home with a vegetable soup/stew on the stove. Turns out that someone from my church had brought dinner to this family, and there was more than enough for all three of us. So the plan was to hang out with them for a few hours until hubby could come rescue me. Well... that plan turned into an overnight stay because the snow just kept on pouring down and my hubby couldn't get out of our driveway.

We really didn't do anything extraordinary that evening. We talked, ate dinner together, rested, and just enjoyed each other's company. I was shown the way to the guest bedroom where I would stay, and boy was it a cozy place! Maybe it was the exhaustion of being a new momma, maybe it was all the excitement from the storm, or maybe it was how welcomed and loved I felt that day, but it was literally the best sleep I've ever had in my entire life. I had never slept like that before or since.

That dear couple ministered to my heart in so many ways during that visit, but one thing has stood out in my mind since that day. Their hospitality has become the standard by which I now hold myself to when it comes to hospitality. They were the example of what it means to welcome someone into your home, even when it's last minute and you don't have time to prepare. See, the Lord always provides exactly what we need. From the meal, to the place to rest, God had gone before me and worked out all the details long before that snow storm ever hit. He had prepared a place for me, and Mr & Mrs. Mentor got to be His hands and feet that day.

As I sit here on my bed, 5 years later during yet another snow storm, I am reminded of their loving example of christian hospitality on that cold snowy day.

This sweet couple has since become dear friends and our mentors. Their loving guidance over the years has molded our lives in so many ways, and I am forever grateful that God chose to place them in our lives.

Finding Contentment,

Kimberly

P.S. - Have you ever experienced a time when someone showed you hospitality? What was that like? Tell me below!