Home Sweet Simple Home

Another opportunity for learning Hospitality

And here we have yet another unremarkable-to-most tale of me stepping into hospitality that borders on the edge of my comfort zone.
And yet I lived to tell the tale.
Evening services were lifted at our church yesterday due to district camp meeting. On the way home from church, Mr. Steady and I discussed the camp meeting schedule and decided that we would not go that afternoon but instead to a couple of services during the week (we must calculate gas for this because it’s not close by and choose carefully).  I remarked that it being such a nice day we should invite my brother and his family over in the evening for a campfire and pizza camp pies. He thought it an excellent notion and we decided to invite my parents also.
This was totally spur of the moment.
Lucky for me I had the most important ingredients for pizza camp pies on hand (re: wood for fire, pie irons, bread, pizza sauce and cheese). I had some pizza toppings and my sister-in-law stated that she had some onions, tomato and more pizza sauce and some pie filling for camp pie-pies. We had quite a bit of macaroni salad in the fridge (my donation to the funeral dinners held at our church on Saturday) and I thought it would go fine with pizza camp pies. My momma said she had a couple of toppings and would bring the stuff for smores.
And with that said- My momma showed up a Jell-O salad, container of beans, string cheese and cottage cheese. Oh and plastic plates and lemonade too.
Our humble camp pies turned into a veritable feast.
And so how is this stepping out of my hospitality comfort zone you ask? Its family after all.
Well, first off- it was totally spur of the moment [and forgive the big head but perhaps I should add- I’m proud to say that I was able to host it without worry about a frenzied house cleaning or the need to run to the store- in fact, truth be told I took a really nice nap and read some in the afternoon]

Then with my parents and sibling and family all present I looked over and saw our neighbors sitting out on their enclosed patio. A wonderful elderly couple, very sweet and nice (he lets my kiddos bike thru his amazingly smooth, slightly hilly and wonderful u-shaped drive way) and they were just sitting.
And that’s when God nudged me.
And I nudged Mr. Steady.
I asked him if he would like to go over and invite the neighbors.
And he did.

And they did (after they ate their supper but they had dessert and dare, I say, pleasant conversation- with us).
And

It was nice.
I did not panic.
Instead- I felt
Very Blessed.

And thankful for not overlooking the simple opportunity of extending hospitality on the spur-of-the-moment.