But My House Isn't Spotless.

What holds you back from opening up your home and entertaining? Does anything hold you back, or are you the person who leaves the front door open welcoming everyone. I commend you, if that is you. That is not me. In my life time of meeting people, having lived and traveled all over the globe, it is rare to find that kind of hospitality. The arms open ready to invite you into their home to share a meal type of hospitality. I'm getting ready to host a party in our home this week, and I realized what holds me back the most is having to clean my house. Cleaning my house! I look around and I see dust that needs to be removed. The debate of whether to wash my carpets before the event or to wait until after the event when they will be dirty again. I see light bulbs that have burned out and need to be replaced. I see paint that has chipped away on my kid's dressers that I could touch up - but really, don't we all love chippy paint on furniture? I see that I shouldn't let all these things hold me back in any way shape or form. It's life. We live in our house, and our family is not perfect. And the ladies that are coming over to my house for a fun girl's night out won't be focusing on the dust, the chippy paint, or the dimmer lighting. Not just because it will be corrected by that night, but because they will be focusing on building deeper relationships with each other. Because we will be eating and drinking and laughing and investing relationally. And that's truly what life is all about. Relationships. That's what entertaining is all about. That's what opening up your home and showing other people hospitality is all about. Relationships.