Thursday, May 03, 2018

Entertaining Strangers by Rose McCormick Brandon


Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:13
One Saturday morning we lingered in bed thankful for a slow day. Melody, about eight at the time, ran downstairs and quickly returned to our room upstairs. “There’s a man sleeping on the couch,” she said. “Of course there is,” we said sarcastically believing she was trying to get us moving. She had a reputation as a prankster so this didn’t help her cause. 
“There is someone down there,” she kept saying.
"Sure. Sure."
We took our time getting up and finally the five of us trooped downstairs. And there on our living room sofa lay a complete stranger, sound asleep. We stood over him staring at him like the three bears of Goldilocks fame. 
He awoke with a start, disoriented.
He’d been drunk the night before and was headed for a relative’s house on our street. As he stumbled along he found our front door unlocked, came in, found a comfortable couch and collapsed. 
Doug offered him breakfast. He joined us in the kitchen for a few minutes, still groggy and perhaps suspicious that we might call the Police. He was harmless. And even if he wasn’t he was no match for Doug who suggested we pray for him, which we did. 
Soon he was out the door and on his way. 
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2). I don’t believe our stranger was an angel (read about Abraham’s angelic visitors in Genesis 18), but I do believe his landing on our sofa was not by accident. It was an opportunity to pray for and to show kindness to a stranger.  
Prayer: Lord, as I go about my usual business today, make me aware of the needs of strangers and give me an opportunity to exercise hospitality.
***
Rose McCormick Brandon is the author of Promises of Home - Stories of Canada's British Home Children, One Good Word Makes all the Difference, numerous magazine articles and personal stories for compilations like Chicken Soup for the Soul. Rose writes two blogs, Promises of Home and Listening to my Hair Grow. Contact her at: rosembrandon@yahoo.ca 

2 comments:

Peter Black said...

Great story, and well-told, Rose. Enjoyable. It reminds me of how my dad would invite complete strangers over for a meal or to stay overnight in our humble tenement apartment in Glasgow. Mum wouldn't know who'd turn up with him next. Some wonderful and lasting friendships began through such spontaneous hospitality.~~+~~

Anonymous said...

A good memory of your dad and his attitude toward strangers. Good to remember that some people depend on the kindness of others for their basic needs. This is a major area where Christians can make a difference. Oh that others will see our good deeds and give thanks to our Father in heaven.

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