Hospitality

So, I have been thinking a lot about hospitality since Michael and I moved into our new place. Those of you who know me well understand that social situations are not easy for me. My body literally freezes at the thought of having to try and carry on a conversation with someone who I don't know very well. I assume that they won't be interested in anything that I have to say or that I will say something stupid before the encounter is over. I spent many afternoons and evenings alone in my dorm room because I was too scared to go out and form new relationships. The only ones that I had were with outgoing individuals who, God bless them, took the time to develop a relationship with me.



When I met Michael, one of the things that I fell in love with was his ability to engage ANYONE! He can make you feel like the most interesting and clever person in the room in a matter of minutes. It made me feel more secure than I had ever felt before. When we were first married, I let myself hold on to that security for myself instead of using it to step out of my own boat of social phobia.



I like to think that since I like to cook I am hospitable when in fact the opposite has been true. I truly enjoy cooking for our families, but my dream evening includes a yummy new dish with my hubby and kitty and no one else- my husband and cat know who I am and over time have convinced me that the real me is okay. Since it would be too honest to admit that I am scared to reach out to new people, I would hide behind our small dining room table. I would tell myself that if only we could accommodate more people, I would be more likely to invite acquaintances over in an attempt to get to know them better and share God's love.



As soon as we found our new rental, Michael and I started talking about buying a dining room table. We wanted to have room to develop relationships with people from our church and to deepen the relationships with our friends and family. As it was being delivered on Saturday I started to think about the reality of having people over. Family- well that was pretty safe. They love me no matter what. Friends- well there are a few in the area that I feel comfortable enough with to be myself. Acquaintances- Uh oh! What will I say? What will I do? Will they like me? Will I act in a manner that will be pleasing to the Lord if I can't think of anything to say to them? Will my fear paralyze me? Then, God gave me the opportunity to learn to trust him with this issue this past weekend.

We went out to dinner with several people who Michael works with. I ended up at the end of the table with another couple and the first few moments were filled with silence after the standard greeting remarks. I began to over think...and then pray...Lord give me something to say. He answered my prayer and at the end of the evening even Michael commented that I was much more social than he had expected. Now as I look at the table above in our dining room I am reminded that it is not just a piece of furniture. It is a tool to share the love of Christ through hospitality so don't be surprised if I invite you over some time soon! And if I don't...please call me on it.

Kitchen Woes

Yesterday afternoon, I decided to start unpacking my kitchen. Since being able to cook with my own supplies again was the one thing that I was most looking forward to, I felt excited at the thought of getting everything organized and put away. I am one of those sick individuals who loves organizing anything!! ( I can hear my college roommate laughing at the memory of awakening to me organizing my drawers in the middle of the night so that I could sleep) I decided to work my way through the boxes in our garage one at a time until everything was properly put away. The first box went well, until I started putting things away. Just as the cabinet would sparkle with perfection I would remember something else that should go in its place. Convinced that I couldn't possibly do this properly without having everything unpacked, I began to pile things on the counters, island, table, and floor until I decided that I better see how many boxes I had left. Surely there couldn't be more than 5 kitchen boxes total!



Well...I started to count...2...4...6...10! Where did all of this come from??? Our old apartment kitchen was modest in size and I never felt like things were coming out of my ears. What could possibly be in the boxes?? As I continued to pack I was horrified to discover how much glassware we own. I am equipped to throw a cocktail party for at least 50 people. Is this really necessary? Do I even have 50 friends? Just as I became completely overwhelmed with the task, I started to remember the memories associated with the things that I was unwrapping.



I have been rambling about my Emma dishes for days on Facebook so I think that it is time to explain. Shortly after college I discovered my dream dishes on a trip to Pottery Barn. They were simple with enough character to make them interesting. I was in love, but there was a problem. I was a single girl living with her parents and I did not need, nor could I afford them. Every time that I would visit Pottery Barn I would check to make sure that the dishes were still available in case I was to meet my prince charming some time soon. Well...I did and we rushed to register for the dishes shortly after he proposed!! These are the dishes that we ate on as newlyweds in our little 1-bedroom apartment, and the dishes that we used to celebrate every milestone that we encountered during that first year of marriage. Slowly the dishes themselves faded away and all that I could see was what they represented. So, as I continued to unpack them I couldn't help but remember all of the memories. And that made the task less daunting.

As I unpacked the waffle iron, I remembered Saturday mornings as newlyweds. We would enthusiastically jump out of bed and rush to make waffles and smoothies. Then, we would jump back in bed and watch several episodes of "Sex in the City" before starting our day. As I unpacked the coffee mugs I though of all the times that my husband brought me coffee in the morning when we had the same work schedule. As I unpacked the serving dishes I though of the first Thanksgiving meal that I prepared several years ago and how much I look forward to doing it again now that we have a table big enough for 8 people.


Suddenly the kitchen was complete...well except for a few random pieces that are packed who knows where- I mean why would I pack two of a three canister set in one box? Now we are moving on to new memories and experiences. God has given me life, a husband who loves me, an amazing family, and the ability to find peace in that. I pray that I will wake up each day and remember that His promises are new EVERY morning.

Moving On...

As of this weekend, Michael, Khai, and I will be living on our own again. We are renting a townhouse in Fairfield and we are so excited about it. It has been a blessing to stay with family, but we are ready for our own space again. We have a guest room with a queen-sized bed which, I must admit, has turned out pretty cozy and we can't wait to have friends and family come and stay with us. I may like it better than my own bedroom, if I am honest! As soon as it gets warmer there is a pool right across the street with a hot tub and a view of Green Valley Lake. A guest room, pool, and free wine-tasting-how can anyone say no to that!! We hope to see you soon!