RADICAL HOSPITALITY
Story by: Charlene
Quast
Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows
God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In
this way the love of God was revealed to us, that God sent His only begotten
Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In
this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to
be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, if God
so loved us, we must also love one another. No one
has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and His
love is perfected in us. We know that we live in Him,
and He in us, because He has given us His Spirit.
1 John 4:7-13 (MEV)
When our pastor Marty preached a sermon entitled “Radical
Hospitality” on 1 John 4:7-13, my heart was moved and I knew that I wanted this
to be applicable in my life. I knew that
I was friendly, giving and hospitable, however what was radical about my form
of hospitality?
Although I wasn’t actively searching for an occasion to show
radical hospital I was willing if God gave me an opportunity. And then one day He did…. with a lady in a
wheelchair. All I did was open the door of the restaurant so that she and her husband could exit. The wheel chaired -bound lady pointed
with her clenched fist at my red purse. She made guttural sounds and continued
to point at the handbag. Her husband said, "She likes your red
purse." as he passed by me. Her eyes were a definite giveaway to God’s
calling. After getting my take-out, I
noticed her husband had safely placed her in her car seat. Quickly I ran to my
car and emptied my bag. As I approached the van, I extended the red purse to
give to her. At first her husband told me, “No.” He was returning her to the nursing home and said
she would have no use for the purse. He
also added that she could no longer speak. But her eyes were smiling and those
guttural sounds came back even louder.
For a second I thought maybe she was going to actually say a word. She
beamed with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face as her husband finally
took the red purse and handed it to her.
The happiest of all was not the receiver of the gift but the
giver of the gift…. Me! God used
me! My heart was overflowing with His
richness. I saw God that day in a woman
in a wheelchair and was so grateful that I responded to the call of showing
radical hospitality.
Sweet Jesus,
Thank-you for giving us the greatest gift of all, your
life. Help me each day to give radical
hospitality to those around me, so that I can do your work.
In Your Name I pray,
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