Here’s a mathematical equation for you:
God * (Christ * (Bruce + Carla)) = Given to Hospitality!
If you can recall from your school days algebra, that means that Bruce plus Carla’s welcoming ways are multiplied by God’s love working in Christ in them.
Every time we stay in their home, the heavenly Father’s care is poured out on us. And the fellowship we enjoyed this time together was magnified because four other long-lost beloved-of-God friends just happened to visit at the same time.
And of course, as you might expect if you have been following Our Grand Midwest Tour, part of the lovely dinner that the eleven of us shared together was Cindy’s third birthday celebration complete with Derby Pie! Dining out on the back porch as the sun set, we all basked in the summer breeze and in God’s love for us.
But before I go any further with my Frankfort story, let me show you a bit of God’s hospitality instructions for us, starting in Romans 12.
Romans 12:13:
Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
This scripture falls under the “Love Without Hypocrisy” part of Romans 12. (You can read about this whole section in Gene’s article Just Like Your Dad: Our Father’s To-Do List.) The lead-in phrase, “Distributing to the necessity of saints,” describes the saints fully sharing to meet the needs of all. (Sound like Acts 2:42 to you? Check it out.)
Then “given to hospitality” takes this full sharing fellowship a bit further—right into our homes. Literally it means to “pursue after the goal of sharing brotherly love to guests (or ‘strangers’).”
And that’s just what Bruce and Carla did for their nine overnight guests. From their lovely home looking out over lush green pastures to the bountiful breakfast greeting us in the morning, every physical need was amply supplied for us to enjoy the full sharing of our brothers and sisters.
The five of us from Frankfort had one full day there so Bruce made some suggestions for how we could spend our time: see Kentucky’s capitol building (actually they have had four since 1792), visit a bourbon distillery, see the view from Frankfort Cemetery where Daniel Boone is buried, or tour the factory that makes, in my opinion, the best candy ever—Rebecca Ruth’s Bourbon Balls. All very tempting options.
But by the end of the discussion, the decision was clear and unanimous. We would all stay home. And what did we do? All our favorite things: eat together, take a walk outside or a nap in the afternoon. Best of all, we engaged in full sharing of the Word of God we were learning, and the blessings of God in our lives. In those moments together, I think we had a glimpse of the reality of these scriptures:
Ephesians 3:17-19:
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
This was an example of fellowship at its finest, brotherly love in its element—the home. Whether we dwell in a simple, humble apartment on the 5th floor of a high-rise in Chicago, a four-bedroom farmhouse in Moville, Ireland, or a Nipa hut in the Philippines, our homes are the perfect place to provide for the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of the saints in full sharing of God’s love. Thanks, Bruce and Carla!
The three of us were once again on the road (we’re still looking for Cindy’s license so I am still driving), and looking forward to our next adventure in Cincinnati, Ohio!
NEXT: Our Grand Midwest Tour: Generation to Generation
PREVIOUS: Our Grand Midwest Tour: Joy
