Practice makes Progress

I have been thinking about the word practice for a while now. I thought I knew what it meant. Apparently not. Just for fun I looked it up in the dictionary. Here are just a few things the dictionary had to say about the word practice; "to perform or work at repeatedly so as to become proficient,a repeated or customary action, the usual way of doing something, a systematic exercise for proficiency."

My husband and I were on a date night a few years ago at a local restaurant. After we were seated I recognized the wife of a friend of my husband's seated with another lady. She noticed us as well and came over to our table. We were introduced to her friend, Elizabeth. She greeted us with a warm smile. We chit chatted for just a minute or two and before going back to their seats Elizabeth invited us over to dinner the following Tuesday evening. A stranger for all practical purposes invited us over to dinner. We were thrilled. We had just moved to town about a year prior and were still struggling with getting to know people and making friends. We had been reaching out to others and inviting people to our home, an apartment, until we could find a house but it just seemed to us that everyone one was too busy with their life for a new-comer. Now, here is this person we just met inviting us over.
That invitation was exactly what I needed on that day.

I think Elizabeth was prompted by God's spirit to reach out to us. She was listening and obeying the voice of God.

So what does this have to do with the word "practice" So glad you asked! Did you catch the phrases from Webster's???? "repeated action, customary action etc" These words would lead one to infer that practice means to do something over and over again. To make it a part of your customary actions or routines. Do it until it becomes second nature. Do it and don't think about it. Make it a habit. It was so easy for Elizabeth to reach out to us. I think it was because she "Practiced Hospitality" don't you?

Commandment or Suggestion? Part I

Hospitality. What comes to mind when you hear this word? Planning? Money? Stress? Cleaning? Serving? Giving? Work?

What does scripture have to say about it? What do you have to say about it?

I Peter 4:9 "Show hospitality to one another with out grumbling"


As a young married woman I looked forward to practicing hospitality. I was also keenly aware of our lack of finances, how small our home was (some 800 square feet) and how I perceived it needed to be decorated and cleaned before I could ever even think about having anyone over. My husband had other ideas. He didn't bat an eye when our small group from church needed a place to meet. He automatically volunteered our place. At the time I was not very happy with him. Didn't he know what kind of stress he was putting on me? UGH! Hospitality is not my gift. Our small group met every Thursday evening. I had a week to prepare! We would not only be responsible for providing the meeting place but for providing snacks as well. How would I ever be able to afford to feed that many people? If memory serves me correctly we had approximately 6 couples attending on a regular basis. Our grocery budget was $35 a week. My husband suggested making Jiffy muffin mixes. They came in different flavors like Raspberry and Blueberry. You could get 5 boxes for about a dollar. You just add water and an egg, and bake in muffin pans. We planned on preparing and serving a couple of pitchers of Kool-Aid brand lemonade.

Oh, did I mention we owned 4 wooden chairs? That's it. We had no furniture! We solved that problem by asking people to bring their own outdoor chairs.

When Thursday night arrived I had been working and working. I was worn out!

Guess what? It all worked out! Everyone loved the muffins and wanted the recipe. I had to laugh at that one!
You would think that after hosting our small group that I would have learned to relax and enjoy practicing hospitality huh? Well, Let's just say I am a slow learner sometimes!!!!

Looking back now after 13 some-odd years I realize my sin of "pride" I was more concerned with what people would think of where we lived and what kind of food we served them. I wasn't seeking to bless others, only myself. I was too worried about "me"

By God's Grace I have grown a lot in this area. Look for part two to this post along with some helpful hints for practicing hospitality on a budget and maybe even a recipe or two to get you started.

Remember sometimes you just have to "Do it"