“Family dinners should be planned with as much thought and care as company dinners.”
(Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, 1946)
Hospitality. One of the things that every homemaker hears about. We are told that we are supposed to show hospitality to those in need, strangers, and friends. We are taught in Scripture to “seek to show hospitality” (Romans 12:13), “show hospitality to one another without complaining” (1 Peter 4:9), and finally we are told to “not neglect to show hospitality to strangers” (Hebrews 13:2). When reading the Bible, we learn that it is a command, not a suggestion, to show hospitality.
We often get so caught up in seeking to serve others that our own families are put on the back burner. We are so busy showing hospitality to those outside our home, that we do not show hospitality to those inside our home. There’s an old saying that says, “Treat your company like family and your family like company.” Have you ever really thought about that and how to live it out?
Have you ever run around your home trying to get everything in place and cleaned up right before expecting guests? Have you ever tried so hard to make your guests feel comfortable, welcome and at home? Have you ever made a special meal when expecting a dinner guest? When you have guests over, you probably go out of your way to make their experience special and memorable.
Showing hospitality to those inside our homes is important. After all, they live there! Don’t you want your family to love being home? To feel welcome and comfortable in the place that they live? If you seek to make guests feel special and if you want to create a memorable experience for them, then don’t you think you should seek to do the same with your family?
To me, when I think of hospitality, I think of serving others, helping others, making someone feel special and loved, creating a memorable experience, visiting, talking, and enjoying the company of others. Because of the hustle and bustle of daily life, this can sometimes be overlooked within our families. I hope that some of the ideas below will inspire you to enjoy your family and make some fun, special memories.
Making it Practical:
Here are a few ideas for how you can show hospitality to your family. These apply no matter what age or season of life you are in. (Single young ladies, I encourage you to invest in your family and siblings. This is good training ground for the future.)
1. Prepare a special meal on each family member’s birthday. Make a special dessert.
2. Each day seek to make your home a haven- light a candle, play music in the background, clean up clutter, etc.
3. Add some flowers to your dinner table.
4. Have a themed dinner once in a while- Mexican, Italian, everything red, all finger foods, etc.
5. Make your entry way a place where your family feels welcome when they come in.
6. Bake a batch of fresh, homemade cookies or bread. Your entire house will smell divine!
7. Have fun with your kids (or siblings)- tea parties, arts and crafts, pillow fights, games, etc.
8. Friday night movie night- make a big bowl of popcorn and gather on the couch for a good movie.
9. Make a big breakfast – go all out! Homemade waffles and pancakes, fresh fruit, orange juice, whatever you like.
10. Camp out in the living room (or in the backyard). I’ve heard of families doing this under the Christmas tree- how fun!
11. Have a heart to heart chat over a cup of tea.
12. Roast marshmallows outside (or inside).
13. Have an arts and crafts party and make decorations for your home.
14. Make lemonade in the summer or hot chocolate in the winter and play board games inside to keep warm or cool depending on the weather.
15. Have a “backwards dinner”- eat dessert first and your main course last.
The best thing about all of these activities is that they are simple and you don’t have to spend a whole lot of money in order to have a memorable, fun time with your family. These could, of course, also be used in showing hospitality to those outside our homes.
Family is a gift from God- we need to enjoy them!