3 true life stories- from North Berwick, Auckland and Ashford to inspire you to send out invitations of love!

North Berwick

It was a bright summer day in the UK. We were visiting our son who works at Milton Keynes. Today, the three of us were on a train to visit Wendy at North Berwick. Bob, Wendy’s dear husband of 50 odd years had passed away a few months back.

Wendy insisted that we should join her for dinner at home. The train slowly chugged its way through the lush green country sides. I sat by the window and spotted all the churches in the towns we passed.

North Berwick was the last station on the route. ‘It is the northern most tip of Scotland’ Bob had told us when we stayed with them years back. All the memories came flooding in. The café trips, visiting majestic castles, walks on the beach and the quaint town’s shops showcasing locally made artefacts.

As the train stopped at the last station the 3 of us jumped out in excitement. There was Wendy, all of 83 years with her daughter Marianne, both waving to us. It was wonderful to walk the quiet streets of the town to their family home. It was 6pm.

Marianne got us tea and laid out exquisite tea cups. “Please do walk around and relive the memories,” said Wendy. I enjoyed the photo displays, Meshak and Ranjit went to the pile of Bob’s engineering books.

Knowing my love for fish and chips Wendy popped around to a near by stall to buy them for dinner. We sat around the dining table and ate on blue and white ceramic plates. Marianne served her mother’s scrumptious chocolate cake with whipped cream and strawberries for dessert.

We had a wonderful time. We talked on and on exchanging news from across continents and cultures. As always, I had learnt a lot from my  friend.

·         That the warmth, love and hospitality is more important than the food.

·         That it is alright to order in food or buy a pizza and serve it with love.

·         That is ok to ask children or friends to help out.

Use your gift to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace.

1 Peter 4:10 NIV

Auckland

It was our first Christmas in Auckland, New Zealand far away from home. The 4 of us had been invited for am evening of food and music at the Rawlings residence. As we sat in the corner wearing smiles, families came in with plates of finger food and sometimes with a musical instrument.

At the stroke of 6 Jenny handed out carol booklets and announced that we would go through them all of them in the course of the evening. Jenny played the piano, her daughter, the violin and a few others had guitars, tambourines and small drums.

As ‘Once in Royal David’s city’ went on to ‘Silent night’ and ended with ‘Joy to the World’ our hearts were full indeed. The hall, kitchen, garden and hallway were filled with people of all ages. Some standing, some on cushions and some on the floor.

The men started a barbeque in the small courtyard as we all dug into the savory and sweet dishes, walking around the room making new friends. It suddenly felt a lot like Christmas!

Here are a few things I learnt from Jenny

·         Having a potluck dinner is a good way to bring together a group of friends.

·         Don’t worry about the size of your space, a heart of love is more important.

·         Having a common theme, like carols in this case, quickly sets the scene.

 

For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.

Acts 28:30 NIV

Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Romans 12:13 NIV

Ashford

We had reached Ashford in Kent. My heart was beating fast as I rang the bell at Sumin and Ruth’s residence. We had never met before. Ruth and I were online buddies. She was much younger but we had had some good online discussions on home, being a parent as a child of God and yes, even hospitality. For the next 24 hours we were drenched in love by this family of four.

Ruth’s casual way of entertaining put us at ease at once. Their kitchen was large and inviting. As she cooked, we chatted away. I offered to make a dish and she readily agreed. As her curry bubbled away, the smell of chocolate which little Olivia and I whipped up wafted through the room.

Haydn, Olivia and Sumin played organ music for us to enjoy. After dinner we went to the dessert shop nearby and had gourmet desserts. We stayed the night with them. Breakfast was an English spread. Ruth packed food for us as we drove away. Did I tell you that we visited the Grand Canterbury Cathedral  with them too?

What did I learn from the Sumins?

·         To be honest and real and to just let it be.

·         To plan ahead and also pray about the details.

·         To put love ahead of everything else.

One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshipper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. ……

She invited us to her house……. she said ‘come and stay at my house’. And she persuaded us.

Acts 16:14 and 15 NIV

An essay on hospitality should not end without a recipe so here is my easy one for banana fritters- Indian style.

Paniyaram (a popular Indian tea time snack for children)

Mix together 1 banana, 1 egg, ½ cup self-rising flour, a pinch of baking soda and ¼ cup sugar. The batter should be stiffer than for pancakes. Deep fry small spoonful’s in hot oil. Take them out one by one when round, dark brown and fully cooked. Keep on a paper towel to cool. Enjoy!