On love and hospitality

Today’s first reading came from 1 Peter 4:7-13, and exhorts the listener to “have a constant mutual charity among yourselves: for charity covereth a multitude of sins. Using hospitality one towards another, without murmuring, As every man hath received grace, ministering the same one to another: as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

This struck my heart, and I need to dig deeper in prayer to find how God is calling me to specifically have charity and practice hospitality in my life. I often marvel at how well I will clean and pick up clutter when we are expecting guests, but how begrudgingly I do the same tasks for my family. I am quite sure that I should start with the clean house and clutter-pick-up for my family first, and treat them with the same sort of welcoming charity and hospitality usually reserved for guests.

Why do we reserve that kind of treatment for guests anyway? Why not treat everyone–family included and first!–in the same way? Imagine the difference in our families if we begin to have greater charity and hospitality towards them! Imagine the peace and joy that would welcome our husbands when they come home. Imagine the ways our children might behave, and that our homes might become the favorite on the block (which I hope for as my children age! I will know their friends!).

I am going to dwell on this, and see what changes I can make in my heart and home. First will be prayer, followed by less grumbling when everyday needs interrupt everyday tasks! Journey with me?