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?