Luton Airport wasn’t supposed to be my home for the day.
I’d just spent a delightful week with friends in England, and after a long bus ride, check-in, and security, I was within minutes of boarding the plane when my flight was canceled.
The next flight? A week later.
My friends, a young couple with their first baby due in another month, had been hosting me in their tiny cottage, and I’m sure my presence, though welcome, was cramping their style. But when I called to let them know what was up, their immediate response was an enthusiastic “Come back!”
Is it any wonder I feel so warm about hospitality? Considering the great wealth of welcome I’ve experienced in a variety of different cultures, I’ve got a king’s ransom to pass on to others.
I’m so glad these welcoming friends of mine also taught me that hospitality doesn’t have to look like the cover of Southern Living. Tea under a nearby fig tree, for instance, is just fine.
If giving hospitality is ultimately the gift of ourselves, then each person’s style of hospitality will be just as unique as his individual personality, circumstance and season of life.
Read more over at Boundless.
Elisabeth Adams 