My magazine routine never varies. I hit all the food stories first because I’m a ‘foodaholic’ from way back. I love stories about people coming together over platters of their favorite goodies.
I guess Granny’s meals had a lot to do with that. She always had a little special something for everyone at the table. One Christmas, Gran served 11 different side dishes. They ranged from canned spaghetti for us kids, because it was a treat we never got at home…to creamed celery, because a cousin happened to mention in early July, that she ate it once in a high class restaurant.
Granny never actually said the words I love you but her food spoke louder than words. Whenever I visited on my own, she’d turn out my favorite feast of homemade bread and a huge bowl of heavily buttered squash. Together, we’d clean up the whole batch and then share a satisfied grin over our empty plates.
The Bible doesn’t speak of serving guests their favorite foods but clearly expects us to have guests and treat them well. You can’t beat the Amplified Bible for clarity.
1 Peter 4:9-Practice hospitality to one another (those of the household of faith). [Be hospitable, be a lover of strangers, with brotherly affection for the unknown guests, the foreigners, the poor, and all others who come your way who are of Christ’s body.] And [in each instance] do it ungrudgingly (cordially and graciously, without complaining but as representing Him). (AMP)
And the English Standard Version boils that all down to this.
1 Peter 4:9-Show hospitality to one another without grumbling (ESV).
How are we doing in this department?
Prayer: Lord, help us to treat others the same way we would like to be treated. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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