Making Space For Hospitality

Making Space for Hospitality

Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Romans 12:13

Summertime at our house is a time of freedom, flexible schedules, and playtime. Our kids love playing outdoors, making up games, riding bikes, and running through the sprinkler.

All these things are fun, but the challenge for us as a family has become making time to show kindness even when it’s not linked to a holiday or season. For us, kindness in the summer looks a bit different than other times of the year. Sometimes we get a little lax or forget to be intentional about doing kind acts or even talking about kindness.

To combat this challenge, one way we work to incorporate kindness is through playtime with other kids in our neighborhood. My kids are all extroverted and love to have friends over to our home. This is especially challenging for me, as I am not the mom who naturally loves playdates or having lots of kids in my house. I hate messes, and noise tends to get to me after a while, but I realize the importance of empowering my kids to incorporate kindness into their lives and relationships.

Keeping that in mind, I look for ways that they can have their friends over when it works for our calendar. I say yes when we’ve got a free day at home, and I don’t feel bad when our schedule another day is too busy. I also have conversations about what activities my kids would like to do with their friends, what snacks they could offer, and how long their friends can stay. This teaches my kids how to be hospitable and how to welcome others into our home, a lesson I’m hoping they can carry into adulthood. It teaches us to be more flexible, to share, and to practice hospitality along with kindness, which is a good lesson for me, too.

—Kendra

— Today’s Act of Kindness —

Invite someone over, even if it’s just for a cup of coffee. If it’s too uncomfortable to invite them to your house, start by inviting them to a local coffee shop or restaurant.