Our church, like many others, has a hostess schedule, so that visitors always have a place to eat lunch on Sunday afternoon,
and also to encourage us to invite our church family into our homes.
It's a great practice, and a part of the Mennonite culture that I appreciate. {especially when I get to eat at another person's table for lunch!}
Actually being the hostess is a whole different story!
I enjoy having people to our home;
It's the making of a meal that intimidates me.
I can cook,
it's just not my "spiritual gift".
If there is such a thing!
Furthermore, I have expectations.
Good, but sometimes unreasonable expectations!
And that's part of the reason I feel overwhelmed when I take on the job of hostessing.
My mental list went something like this:
1. Have a freshly-cleaned house with absolutely no sign of clutter.
2. Set the table the night before so I have less to do Sunday morning. {something my mama taught me!}
3. Prepare a full course of delicious food.
4. Wear cute apron so I look the part of the cook.
5. Make chalkboard menu and prop in dining room.
6. Be calm, cool and collected.
7. Enjoy my guests!
I smile now, because almost nothing went as "planned" last Sunday when I was hostess!
{it wasn't quite as amusing at that point}
I got up, at a decent hour, thinking I had plenty of time to do everything.
No sooner did I get myself ready than Hadassah woke up.
So, while I tried to rush around and prepare food,
I also tried to keep her happy.
Graham crackers do a fair job of that,
but they also make a mess on clean, vacuumed floors.
By the time we needed to leave for church, my house didn't look like I wanted it to.
And for the first time in my life, I allowed one of my guests to vaccuum when we got home from church!
I can't tell you how humbling it was.
I didn't wear a cute apron.
There was no fun chalkboard menu,
and I certainly wasn't calm, cool and collected.
But I had prayed, as I always do before I host guests,
that God would fill our home with His joy,
and that everyone that was there would feel appreciated and blessed.
It all worked out, as things usually do.
I truly enjoyed being hostess and visiting with friends!
And I learned an important lesson on Sunday:
God's grace is just as real for a amateur hostess
preparing a Sunday meal
as it is for the single mother raising a family.
I thought of the verse "My grace is sufficient for you,
because My power is made perfect in weakness."
I love that!
I have decided that if it takes weakness for me to experience the beauty of the sufficiency of God's grace in my everyday life,
that's fine with me.
Because it's enough for whatever I face:
His everyday grace.