Developing relationships with friends starts by extending hospitality to them. Throughout the years, we have had the opportunity to share hospitality with many friends. We have realized that the diversity of foods, sleeping arrangements, and personalities were never the same, yet always excellent. We learned that the heart of hospitality starts with the willingness to make people feel welcome, and not necessarily on the resources we have.
Being on the receiving end at times, we have observed numerous ideas which have helped us in our desire to be better hosts. Honestly, depending on the season of our lives, sometimes all we can give is our home, a meal and warm smiles…and truly that has proved to be enough! The other things are “icing on the cake” which we may file away in our hearts until we are prompted to use them. None of them are meant to impress, but rather to serve one another in love.
Read on for a list of practical tips:
1) Stay in Touch before the arrival
Phone or Email the visiting family to arrange arrival time, weather conditions and to give directions to the house. Doing this will avoid any misunderstandings and provides the setting for the beginning of good hosting.
2) Inquire about food in advance
Ask your guests if anyone in their family has allergies or special needs which need to be met. If you are able to prepare a variety of meals, ask the family about their favorite food. To allow for more fellowship, try to plan meals ahead of time. The story of Mary and Martha in the Bible is a wonderful depiction of how we could be so busy attending to the physical needs of a guest, and ultimately miss the fellowship with the guest.
4) Focus on relationship building
Ask your guests the purpose of their visit: sightseeing, relaxation, or just plain fellowship. Depending on their answer you can help plan visits to museums, or unique places of interest or nothing if your guest just wants to relax! If you have children, speak to them about sharing their toys, being polite and serving the visiting family.
5) If possible provide for those extra special things and memories
Have extra toiletries in hand just in case your guests forgot them at home. Offer your guests the opportunity to do laundry while there. On the other hand, if you are staying in someone’s house as a guest it is a blessing to the hosting family if you put the used sheets in the washer if possible. Of course, clean up after yourself, leaving the room/bathroom better than you found it.
If you enjoy going the extra mile and find you have the resources to do so, here is a list of unique and charming things families have shown us, which you may use to make your guests’ stay extra special:
One family arranges a basket with snacks and other goodies, including water, gum, fresh fruit, chocolate bars, cookies and a welcome note in the guest’s room. If your guest’s children are used to having several meals a day, the snacks may help them cope until meal time, without making them feel like they are bothering you every few hours.
Several hosting families have a guest book with writing space for thoughts, prayers, or blessings. I have often quickly glanced at previous writings to follow the patterns from previous guests. This makes for a wonderful keepsake to remind you of the gift of hospitality and what a blessing you have been to others.
A little gift for your guests upon departure is a sweet reminder of their stay with you; It could include snacks for the “road,” a candle, or small book…maybe even pictures of their stay with you, if you developed them in time.
For a personally recommended list of the best hospitality books, please visit http://www.shoplbg.com/product.php?catID=63
Shirley Solis is an Expert Author in the area of family life and homeschooling.
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