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
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 
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2 comments:
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.~~+~~
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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