“Welcome in!”
The cheerful words startled me. I had spent the morning living in my head while working on a writing project, trying to find just the right combination of letters and sentences and paragraphs. I hadn’t heard another human voice for several hours.
But as I walked through the front door of a local store, someone noticed me. Someone took the time to greet me and smiled at me.
“Welcome in!”
Those words snapped me out of my head and back into the world around me. I noticed the young clerk near the door. I noticed the bright colors spread throughout the store. I recalibrated. I smiled. And all of that from a two-word phrase!
On the days when I’m not wrestling with words, I check in patients at a medical office. When they come to my desk, I often see concern written on their faces, and I recognize the signs of wrestling with the what ifs. My heart aches with them, but I know I can’t heal them nor do I have the medical background to offer any advice.
But I can do for them what that young sales clerk did for me; I can practice hospitality. Defined by Miriam-Webster, hospitality is “the generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests,” and I can do it from my desk without cooking or cleaning anything!
I can look patients in the eye and say, “Welcome! Nice to see you.” I can smile. I can listen if they want to talk about the day or their present challenge. I know the difference it can make.
We tend to think that hospitality happens mostly at home, but lately I’ve begun to realize that hospitality can (and should) happen just as easily in the workplace.
These words from Matthew 7:12 ring in my heart: “Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them” (MSG).
I love being treated hospitably, don’t you? When a friend invites me over for coffee, I feel honored because she wants to spend time with me. When a family member offers to host me overnight, I feel grateful for a comfortable bed, laughter around the table, and a chance to be with family. At work, I appreciate it when a colleague smiles and says, “Good morning! How was your weekend?” And I have so come to love the friendly greeting of a sales clerk saying, “Welcome in!”
At its core, hospitality says, “I see you, and I care about you.” Because I have experienced the joy of hospitality received, I can offer the “generous and friendly treatment” to those around me.
When I arrive at work in the morning, I can greet my colleagues with a smile. When patients come to my desk, I can look them in the eyes and greet them by name. When a new person starts at work, I can take the time to introduce myself and say, “I’m glad you’re here.”
Why make so much effort? Because of Jesus.
If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care — then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.
Philippians 2:1-4 (MSG)
May God continually open our eyes to see new ways of practicing out-of-the-house hospitality.
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Yes!!!! This!!! Thank you for having eyes and heart to see others and then the words to encourage others to do the same.
And thank you for reading and encouraging. 🙂
Great morning devotional! I always love seeing your name and face on the email’s top banner- I know it’s gonna be a great devotional if you are writing it! Many thanks!!
And what a lovely comment to start my day! Thank you! I love this community at (in)Courage. Glad you are part of it. 🙂
I love your emphasis that hospitality isn’t just having people into our home, but is welcoming people and being friendly wherever we are. I have a feeling your hospitality has been an encouragement to many!
Thank you for sharing and motivating us to be more attentive to the opportunities all around us to be kind and friendly as God brings people across our path.
Don’t you wonder what our work places would be like if we all worked at hospitality? 🙂
Yes, Afton, so often our warm welcome has nothing to do with the meal or the home, but instead it’s sliding over to make room on the bleachers or parking the shopping cart beside the paper towel aisle and settling in for a deep listen. Thank you for leading the way in this and sharing what’s working for you.
Yes, yes! Love that picture of parking the shopping cart beside the paper towel aisle and settling in for a deep listen. 🙂
I love the heart behind this post—it’s true. Hospitality is one (super incredibly powerful) way to be light bearers in this world. Such a good reminder—thanks for this!
And thanks for reading. And cherishing and practicing hospitality!
Afton, thanks for this timely reminder. My options for offering hospitality in my home are limited, but there’s a hospitality of the heart that I can practice regardless of where I am. And I love your use of Paul’s wonderful words in Philippians 2. I’ve never heard the passage used in this context, but it’s a perfect fit. Thank you!!
And I love your phrase, “hospitality of the heart.” That really sums it all up!
Afton,
Hospitality is about making room in your heart for someone else. Forgetting about ourselves & thinking of others. So often we rush around in a big hurry or we’re tired & worried about much that we don’t take the time to notice others. I’ve been pondering & working on this for some time. Each day I say hello to my co-workers & see how they are doing. Often times you will see me smiling & saying hello to strangers just wanting to make their day a little brighter. At church you will find me talking with & hugging the elderly. They & everyone needs to know that they are seen & loved.
Blessings 🙂
What a wonderful, hospitable attitude!
Thank You, Afton!
I love your post! As an introvert, I have struggled with the typical notion of hospitality: having people in your house, making food, smiling a lot, and talking freely with everyone about everything, loudly! I am not that. And unless I have an epic brain trauma, it’s most likely that I will never be that! But we are ALL called to hospitality, introverts and extroverts. We are all called to welcome. To reach out. Our hospitality must come out of who we are. I may be quieter. I may smile at the shy child in his father’s arms. And softly gesture “I see you and I care about you” with my eyes to the teen sitting by herself, looking sad and closed in the back of the church. Sometimes quiet people need quiet welcomes from other quiet people. We are most effective In ministry when we know who we are. Wouldn’t you agree?
Thank you for your post.
Yes, I so agree! I’m an introvert too. What great insights you have about smiling and welcoming people with your eyes. Not a busy, loud table but just as hospitable. Love that you know yourself and have learned to practice hospitality the way it works for you. I’m wondering if you have read the book Quiet by Susan Cain. Great book about living as an introvert in an extroverted world.