Hospitality

We all need to eat. Whether you've just had a baby or you've just lost a loved one, the last thing on your mind is figuring out what’s for supper. Here’s where friends, family and faith communities come in. Providing a meal is a practical way to meet a need and show someone you care. As believers, our love for Jesus propels us to care.

During Jesus’ three years of ministry, He went about teaching spiritual truth but He did not ignore the physical needs of those around Him. Jesus didn't just preach lofty ideals with His head in the clouds. He was interested in what the people around Him were going through here on earth. 

In Mark 6, we find the account of the feeding of the 5000. Jesus had been preaching all day to a huge crowd. All day. In the desert. In the hot sun. Not in an air-conditioned, cushy auditorium with a coffee break and refreshments. He was tired so He crossed the lake to get away from the crowd. The crowd followed Jesus; they couldn't get enough of His life-giving words. Jesus could have pulled the diva card and had His entourage whisk Him away so He could find some lodging and food. But that doesn't seem to be Jesus’ way. His way is compassion. He saw that they were hot, tired and hungry. So He used a boy’s lunch to feed them miraculously. The people were amazed. Sometimes an act of compassion surpasses the impact of words alone. Our words must be accompanied with acts of compassion. 

There are so many situations people in our circle are going through where a meal could be beneficial:

• A new baby
• A death in the family
• A lengthy illness
• A family member is in the hospital
• Your child’s teacher is writing report cards
• A student is in the middle of exams
• Someone is taking care of aging parents
• Your Youth Pastor is out every night of the week with students and only has time to grab Subway
• A move
• And the list goes on . . .

I know what you’re thinking: “I’m no Martha Stewart . . . I don’t even know where to start”. Don’t worry . . . keep things simple. The aim of hospitality isn't to show off but to show up. Trust me, the new mom with spit-up on her shirt and toys scattered all over the floor is not going to be judging you. Some of my favourite things to take to people are basic staples like: soup/buns, stew/biscuits, chili/garlic bread, all-in-one casseroles with a salad. If you really feel inadequate in the kitchen, pick up a rotisserie chicken or ready-made pizza. Costco has some great meals made in-store like chicken pot pie or alfredo penne. No condemnation here!

Tips:

1. If a family has children, keep things kid-friendly.
2. Check on dietary needs (ie. low-sugar for diabetics or low-salt for heart patients) and allergies (nuts, dairy, etc.).
3. Drop the meal and leave. Don’t hang around too long unless you can make yourself useful.
4. Use tin foil pans or inexpensive plastic containers so they don’t need to be returned to you.
5. Think outside the box. Drop off muffins for a quick-grab breakfast or easy lunchbox idea for kids.
6. When you’re cooking for your family, double the recipe and freeze the other half for an emergency meal for someone in need.

Here are a couple of great websites:

- Mennonite Girls Can Cook - http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/

- Pioneer Woman - http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/

- Here’s a great online resource called Meal Train that coordinates a group of people to bring meals to someone. Willing participants are emailed and plug their names into a particular date and let others know what food they will be bringing so there aren't 12 lasagnas.  http://www.mealtrain.com/

           

I recently had a friend pass away and the person in charge of coordinating meals for the husband and sons left behind put a cooler on the family’s front deck. Those who were bringing meals were to place their meal in the cooler by 5 PM and pick up their dirty dishes from the cooler the next day. What a great idea!

           

Go and be a blessing!

Brenda E.

Letting Go

It seems the moment labour begins . . . the process of letting go begins also.

As mothers, our job seems to always involve letting go. From the moment they arrive, literally and figuratively, the process of letting go begins.

Each passing year another momentous occasion celebrates their milestones . . . and we continue the process of letting go.

• Another step on their own
• Another block further of independence on their bike
• Another week of holidays staying with relatives by themselves
• Another class taken in order to babysit the neighbour’s kids
• Another day at the steering wheel learning to drive
• Another day of cleaning their room as they pack for college
• Another box taken into their first apartment
• Another embrace
• Another tear
• Another breathe of their fragrance

Psalms 127:3 says, “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.”

Sometimes we get caught up in the busyness and routines of life and our gifts become so familiar we forget how delightful our Treasures really are. And we forget to say thank you for The Treasures we treasure.

All of a sudden time has quickly flown by, the years have come and gone, and we are left staring into an empty bedroom no longer filled with childhood treasures . . . only childhood memories. We are left with failing memories and grasping the sand slipping through the hourglass of time.

No one understands the process of letting go of “their” Treasured Ones . . . except God. The ongoing process of letting go is just that . . . a process of letting go. Holding them with open hands . . . and releasing them to God . . . and entrusting them to Him.

Just as Mary was “treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them” (Luke 2:19), so must we. Treasuring each milestone, each momentous  occasion, each laughter, each teardrop, each moment . . . because our goal should be to raise up, release, and let go of our Treasures . . . so God can call them to great things.

Jo-Ann P.

Reaching versus Touching: Measuring Impact God's Way

If you're like me, you enjoy finding creative ways to make a difference in the world and in other people's lives - and ultimately for God's kingdom. Yet how often do we rely on our own strength and energy to accomplish what we think will make an impact? How is true impact really measured? There are so many great causes out there and so much work to be done - how do we choose? I often used to wish I could get feedback from the people I influence as to how I'm doing, or if my time would be better spent doing something else. This used to concern me, until I started to contemplate the difference between 'reaching' and 'touching' when it comes to the eternal impact of a person's life and ministry.

If you think about it, reaching involves striving and doing - and there's nothing wrong with that. The Bible instructs us to "not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" Galatians 6:9. Jesus was not idle during his three years of ministry here on Earth; he taught, healed, and blessed people from morning until evening, and even sometimes on the Sabbath. Yet consider what it means to touch. It doesn't involve planning or doing, just being. Being available; being honest; being courageous. Touching is all about surrendering to the will of God and allowing His Light to shine out through the cracks in our lives. It's no coincidence that the apostle Paul compared us to jars of clay in 2nd Corinthians 3:7 - "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us."

As great as Jesus' miracles were, the single greatest thing He did was to allow Himself to be crucified. The touch of that single act of surrender had the greatest impact on our fallen world. So as reaching involves time and energy, touching requires sacrifice. Touching demands a depth of character and complete trust in God and His plan. Do you find yourself wishing your time, energy and finances were as limitless as your dreams? Young women often have so many big dreams of how they can save the world, and then life happens and they find themselves a housewife with a demanding toddler and a sick baby. It's easy to feel discouraged about your impact when you are measuring it based on your reach - so why not focus instead on your touch?

Think of it this way - even if you could give something to the whole world, it would never have as much impact as being the whole world to your child. Your sacrificial touch on those closest to you will always produce the greatest eternal rewards. So keep your focus on Jesus and on allowing the Holy Spirit to transform you into His image - you'll find it's the best way to spend your life!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

Ruth-Ellen W.