Inspired to be...Hospitable: Rachel Rewritten

I'm so excited to introduce our final guest for Hospitality month, Rachel from Rachel Rewritten! First of all, I'm not sure how I wound up with mostly Southern guests for this month. Believe it or not, it was unintentional. But, they've all been great! :) Rachel herself has created an atmosphere on her lovely blog of home, food and letting her guard down. That's basically what being hospitable is all about! ;) So, without further ado, here is Rachel...

I'm a born and raised Southern girl, where hospitality runs deep. It's something that is innate within us and something we take very seriously. More than anything, I long to have a home that is warm and welcoming, a place where friends and family can come whenever they need to get away. Being hospitable plays a huge role in this - although hospitality is a mentality that we're born with, we still have to cultivate it in order for it to produce fruit in our daily life. 

Being hospitable is so much more than just opening your door for others to come into your home, it’s creating an environment of acceptance and love. It’s a way of life, not an act of service, per se. It's one of those lessons that you learn by watching and doing, not by talking about it. It goes beyond our homes and into our lives, and is shown by little acts of kindness that most people wouldn’t notice. It’s prayer for friends when they need it and when they don’t. It’s taking a meal to someone who needs it. It’s giving of your time when others need it more than you do. It’s letting the people in our homes and in our communities know that they’re important to us and that they are loved.

As I type this, so many people come to mind that have taught me this way of life. Family members, friends, women in my church. I’m overwhelmed with the amount of people I could list, which just proves that hospitality is a community. But ultimately, one person stands out more than others. It sounds so cliché, but it’s my Mammaw. My sweet grandmother, the epitome of hospitality and kindness.

My grandmother’s hospitality goes deeper than just welcoming people into her home. She shows love through her cooking, through her attitude, and through the welcoming environment she creates throughout her home. I’ve watched her give of her time, her money, her talents, and her love over and over to help others, and I don’t think there was ever a moment of hesitation. There was never a time when she really discussed it with me, it’s just something I learned over time, over watching her give and love over and over again. Her welcoming heart seems to come naturally, a gift that she was born with. I know the Lord gives us all talents to further His Kingdom, and hers is, without a doubt, hospitality.

I can remember as a young child always having extra people at our family Christmas dinners. Couples from church, older, widowed ladies from her Sunday school class, even people she had only met once or twice. She’d welcome anyone who needed a place to celebrate the holidays, anyone without a family to be with during Christmas, or even just someone who needed a warm meal or a bed. Even as a young child, the importance of that always resonated with me. It’s such a crucial part of the Christian faith, too—to break down the walls that separate us. To love our neighbors as ourselves. To give unto the least of these.

As I grow up and as I create a home of my own, those little things she's taught me have stuck with me. Day by day, I strive to make our home open to the ones we love. Sharing our lives and breaking bread with friends and family is what life is all about, when it comes down to it. My hospitality doesn't come as easy as my grandmother's does, though. It's easy for those I'm close with, but not so easy for strangers or even acquaintances. I long to open the doors of our home for anyone who wants or needs loved on. I'm learning as I go to go against what our culture teaches us - I'm learning to just be open and ready and willing. And over time, I know that the Lord will fill in those blanks and help me to have a more hospitable, willing heart.

Thanks so much for sharing, Rachel! It was a pleasure having you!

Next month, we're talking about a very important topic for the times in which we live: Courage. I'm so excited for you to meet the ladies who are guest posting. Since there are 5 weeks in the month, we're actually taking a break from Inspired next week and coming back the following Wednesday. I'll still be here, though, so make sure you stop by to keep me company! Have a great day! :)

-Song