Hospitality is one of those unsung gifts that the Bible mentions but that doesn’t get a lot of air time when people are talking about what’s important in walking the spiritual life. We experienced this gift last month with Mike and Valerie Smith, our hosts at Manoir du Poul deep in the countryside of Central Brittany. They run the manor as a bed and breakfast business, but it’s a gîte with a difference. Leaves visitors somewhat bemused as they experience a warmth and a welcome way beyond the polite professionalism of most of the hospitality industry. It’s there from the moment you arrive, and the personal interest is genuine in their conversation over meal times.
And it’s backed up by prayer, as they shared with us how they often pray for their guests, Valerie when she’s changing the beds or ironing the sheets, and Mike when he’s mowing the grass or weeding the garden.That takes some grace, and its where the gift comes in.
We experienced during that week in August, the kindness of strangers who end up not being strangers, but, even after only a few hours together, like friends we have known a long time. And because of the spiritual connection, the idea of hospitality takes on a yet deeper significance as it becomes the mutual sharing of the physical (food and shelter), and the spiritual (prayer and encouragement), as we feel that we as well have been able to minister into their lives, and they into ours.
No comments:
Post a Comment