Putting a Little Love into It

Lately, my heart just hasn’t been into showing hospitality. Can you relate? We lost my mother in the fall, we’ve had stressful family business to tend to, funds have been tight, our remodeling isn’t finished, relationships are strained and the world seems upside down or closed. I don’t want to wear a mask anymore but fear getting sick or making others ill. It’s cold, my energy is low, and my motivation is in hibernation. I feel drained, dreary and down. Please don’t misunderstand. I love life and people. I just don’t feel like loving them right now.

Maybe you feel like me. Life and winter may have you wanting to bury yourself under a quilt with a cup of hot tea and hide from the world. You may be weary from taking care of family, work and worries.

Entertaining and encouraging can become tasks too heavy to bear when life’s responsibilities become overwhelming. We can give gifts and host events, but when our hearts aren’t in it, we’re just going through the motions. Candy, flowers, cards, balloons, stuffed animals, and fancy dinners can’t replace sincere love. Most everyone can see right through fluff and stuff.

Needing to Be Loved & Served                                      

Loveless acts profiteth zilch. God stressed this plainly in I Corinthians 13. When love is absent from our efforts, profitability goes with it. But, it’s hard to be everything for everyone at every moment when you feel depleted in every area of your life. How can we serve others with charity when we feel we have no more love to give?

“But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.” II Thessalonians 3:13

“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

When we don’t feel like loving or hosting that may be when we need to be loved and served the most. Only we know when we are in that condition and when we need to step back or call on others. And, that’s okay. It happens to all of us.

Ready to Love and Serve

Charity means love—a love that gives our giving, going and good works a profitable purpose. To be ready to share that charity with others, we’ll need to consider our motives and whether we have the spiritual, physical and financial means to minister to others before starting. We can’t just don our hostess hats to host because:

• It’s a holiday
• It’s our turn
• We feel obligated
• We got new home décor
• No one else will do it

There is much more to hospitality than planning and prepping. God said we’ve got to put a little love into what we do. Or else, why bother? Why invest the expense and energy if we feel no love and dread or despise doing what we’re doing or those we’re doing it for?

Life doesn’t get far without love. So, I’m making a choice to accept where I’m at and taking this winter break to regroup my home and reset my heart to put more love into next season.

 “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three;
but the greatest of these is charity.” I Corinthians 13:13

Bring It Home

Are you ready to reach out to others with charity, or are you in need of a little love for yourself today?

Praying for you as we grow together,

Smiles, BRC