I just wanted to encourage you that extending hospitality does not have to be limited to inviting people into your home (as you will see more in chapter 2). It includes being generous in offering time, money, and resources to serve and bless others. It could include making meals for someone, baking goods for neighbors, simply sharing material possessions, and extending love and encouragement through notes, phone calls and the like.

Also, I have found that extending hospitality in a small home is actually not difficult. We live in a small condo and it makes it more intimate and personal I believe. We remain close together throughout the evening and thus face to face in all our conversation. We have had several large families to our home and although it can get loud at times, it is always worth it! There is such rich reward in demonstrating hospitality even in a small home. Talk to you father-in-law about your feelings and ask for his thoughts. You may be surprised that he would be in support of you and offering his home in hospitality. Work together! Although this to be a time to build your relationship and serve others together.

Just my two cents. God bless your efforts!

In reading this chapter one thing that struck me was my own lack of hospitality. I enjoy serving others, baking or making things for friends and family, but we rarely have other people over to our house. When I first got married it was that our apartment was too small to invite people over and many of our friends had kids and felt more comfortable getting together at their own house. Now, we live with my father-in-law for the time being and it feels weird to invite people over to a house that’s not really my house.

As for which character qualities I think are most important would be humility and being led by the Spirit. Humility seems to be a theme the Lord has for me this year(among the comments here too!) and being led by the Spirit because sometimes I have a hard time stepping out and doing the things I feel the Lord would have wants me to do, like talking to someone new or inviting a group of college kids to our house.

I think this chapter brought up in me that I really want to be hospitable to others and that I should probably, along with my husband, me more proactive in ministering to others in (and out) of our home.

I most need to address humility and prayer, a theme amongst the commentors! I would like my times of hospitality to go beyond doing something nice for people and become a genuine opportunity to minister. I also would like to not have a goal of impressing! It’s a thin line between having lovely ideas to bless others and doing for the sake of impressing.