Show Hospitality to Others
“Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.”
This scripture came to my mind when my brother shared with me something that happened to him.
My brother, Peter, was walking along a main street in the town where he lives on his way to his accountant. He was in the final season of working and was planning his retirement. He was walking at a brisk pace so as not to be late for his appointment.
Suddenly he heard a voice, invading his thoughts. He looked around to see its owner but did not see anyone at first.
The voice repeated the words, “Hello, can you help me?”
Peter, upon looking closer, saw the old man sitting on the bus stop bench. He was dressed in clothes that definitely needed a wash and a little worse for wear.
He stopped and asked him, “How can I help you?”
The old man answered, “Could you buy me a packet of cigarettes?”
Peter sighed and leaned into his pocket to get out his wallet. The old man seeing what he was doing stopped him and leaned into his pocket.
“I don’t need money; I already have some.” “But I don’t have any shoes, and my feet are sore and to walk down the road is hard. Could you go buy me some please?”
Now.
Peter sighed again and nodded not only to the man but to himself.
As he walked towards the store, he saw the humour in the request. He, a lung doctor, was going into a shop and buying cigarettes for a man he did not know. He had never smoked himself and did not even know what to ask for.
Upon returning the old man offered a cigarette to Peter. He declined but sat down beside the man and started asking him questions about himself. There was a peacefulness that came over both of them. Peter before had been in such a hurry to get to his appointment. Now he was quite content to spend a few moments with this old man.
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”
Hebrews 13:2 NRSV
As Peter glanced at his watch, he stated to the old man he had to go and that he hoped he had a good day.
Rushing into the accountants’ offices the secretary stated, “You are late, he’s waiting for you.”
Peter replied, “Sorry I’ve been meeting up with Jesus on St Georges Terrace.”
Have you ever bumped into someone and had a” God meeting experience” that was unexpected?? Maybe you were entertaining an angel?
May these jottings from my journal inspire you to believe in and fall in love with Christ- the hope of the world, as stated in Jeremiah 17:7, ‘Blessed is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord!’
Love
Rosemary
Every week groups of ladies meet together to chat about the things I raise in my weekly blog post and to chat about life in general. We call these ‘Heart Connect’ groups.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Have there been times that you have stopped for someone and felt like God set up that moment?
Are you alert and listening to where God might want to use you? What could you do to become more aware of what God is saying to you?