Getting Out of the Rut

Those of you who have been out to my place know that we have a nice long driveway before you get up to the house. Getting the mail is a mid length jaunt down the road...except in the winter. It then becomes a 'five mile' walk (you know-the kind our parents had when they walked to school as a kid, the kind that keeps getting longer and more life threatening as the years go by). With all the snowstorms we've had lately, (and we've had more than our fair share), we have had to get our driveway plowed out several times already. The last few days have been testing my skills as an Indy 500 racer (well, maybe more like a demolition derby driver) just to get out of the driveway. The "Grandpa Car", that's my husband's car so named by my 20 year old daughter because of its endearing looks, has done a fairly decent job of getting us from point A to point B. That is as long as I stay in the ruts. Unfortunately, those ruts aren't very smooth, they aren't straightat all, and they sometimes fill in. So today, I took a running start:

I need to break and preface this with a DO NOT DO THIS AT HOME admonishment. It may not turn out very well.(I hope my husband doesn't read this, he's over in Thailand enjoying 90 degree weather and hopefully will remain oblivious to my attempts at remedying my poor plight stateside in the frozen Northland).

Anyway, I took a running start to get through the first few drifts. "Yea!" "Good one Mom!" "Cool" "Powder everywhere!" "Way Cool!" At this point, I was feeling pretty confident buoyed by my previous success. The extremely long stretch was fast approaching - huge drift ahead. Yikes! We swerved and slid and almost came to a grinding halt. But, chalk another one up to the "Grandpa Car" - it pulled us through, though it wasn't pretty. But, the end was still ahead, so being the good driver I am; I looked down at least a few miles on both sides to be sure there were no other cars in sight for the last harrowing, daring attempt at getting out on the highway. "Hey, Mom, get over to the right, hurry up!" "Turn, Turn, Turn", as we... well, we turned! More like swerved? slid? ...cut a cookie? Well, we did make it - we weren't in the ditch (Oh,this wasn't the ending you thought I'd have?).

You know, getting out of a rut isn't easy - it certainly isn't comfortable, nor is it uneventful! In fact, one could easily get pulled off to the right or to the left and wind up in the ditch. It can be frightening as you plow into new territory and tread on the road least traveled as the poet said (in my case, hard packed 10 inches of snow). But I have to admit when you come out on the other side, you are glad you attempted and very ecstatic that you made it!

Have you tried anything new lately? Made any new resolves for the coming year? How about reading your Bible through not once, but two or three or more times in a year? or setting side a time each day for the Lord only? Have you noticed that getting started in your new endeavor is probably the bumpiest? Sort of like rattling around in a rut isn't it? Plowing new ground isn't easy either and it is certain when you make a commitment to stick with your spiritual plans that you will get off track occasionally too. Hang in there, the rut isn't the straightest or shortest route to success either. It may have been plowed in a time of despair, or depression, or emotional upset in the first place. Lots of times ruts are soggy, mucky messes that slow us down, throw us way off course or stop us in our tracks. I'm reminded of a verse in Psalms about the mire, "I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing:"(Psalm 69:2). We can get quite wishy-washy while stuck in a rut, can't we? In Psalm 40:2, the psalmist is rejoicing about being brought out of a spiritual rut, "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." Being on an established road is by far the best place to be - you can see it, stay on it and get where you want to be.

Really, we know what to do. It's probably not always the wisest thing to take a running dive into your changes and hope for the best like I did with my driving. You may end up going full force into the ditch! But sometimes some extra oomph is the only way to get out of a rut. It could take extra drive, extra determination, extra initiative and... a lot of extra grace!

Have a blessed day!

Lori

Hospitality

Friends, family, guests, strangers, togetherness, warmth, kindness, joy and happiness. What do these words have in common? They all lend themselves nicely to express the Christian art of hospitality. What is hospitality? It is simply a friendly reception and generous treatment of guests and strangers. One of the biggest blessings I've had recently is hosting several groups, large and small, at my home nearly every week (Lest you think I'm some wonder host - read the ending first.) Romans 12:13 tells us we are to be "given to hospitality", in other words, we are to practice it. God doesn't give us commands that are impossible to fulfill(do you really believe this?), neither are they given to cause us frustration and guilt. Do you believe He will give us the grace to do what he wants us to? Sure, and we'll even find joy and satisfaction in doing it.

Why does God want us to be hospitable? Could it be that hospitality is a reflection of His gracious character? He welcomes and loves each and every one of us in spite of our shortcomings, failures and sins. Hospitality is like saying "thank you" to God as well as sharing His love with others. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Hospitality is mentioned several times in the scriptures, so let's take a look at a few of these passages. I Timothy 3:2 says a pastor must be "given to hospitality" among other requirements for ministry. I Timothy 5:10, speaking about a godly widow, says she should be "well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work." In other words, she should be hospitable. Hebrews 13:1 tells us "Let brotherly love continue, be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." And I Peter 4:9 commands, "use hospitality one to another without grudging."

Without grudging! Have you ever grudged by giving or letting someone have something unwillingly? We are not to grumble when we practice hospitality. Isn't it something that the word of God has to remind us not to grumble about serving others? If it's in the Bible it must mean it happens a lot or God wouldn't have to remind us. Maybe its the pressure of feeling like everything needs to be perfect; the house, the meal, the atmosphere. We can spend a lot of time cleaning and grumbling (I know, I've been there). It's easy to entertain friends and family(afterall, they know us and still love us), but what about people we hardly know? Are we as eager to have them over as our closest friends?

Sometimes we don't show hospitality because it seems like an overwhelming task (lots of experience here, too, just ask my kids ). Really, the house doesn't have to look like a showcase, and the meal doesn't have to be extravagant: comfortable is the key. People really aren't going to remember what type of dishes, silverware or glasses you used, nor will they remember the dusty bookcase or pantry shelves (why do I have this urge to clean every nook and cranny that won't ever be seen by company?) Now, they may remember the clothes piled in the corner of the living room, or garbage over flowing onto the floor. This really takes balance - you live in the house, afterall, but you show respect to others when you tidy it up before they arrive(how's that for diplomacy?).

Maybe the thought of having people over is scary to you. Take comfort, it really isn't a difficult skill to acquire. Like anything, it can be mastered with some trial and error, a small amount of frustration and lots of successes. And because it is really a skill, we can develop a plan to learn it, take the guilt off, get the house in order, cook for a large number of people and even smile all at once! Just look at it like this: I get to learn this skill and even enjoy myself!

Okay, so maybe not everything about hosting others will go as smoothe as you plan. The lasagna might not be done on time (due to oven failure), spider webs may dangle from the chandelier (yep, really happened), a pesky box elder bug may land on the table as you dish up (a real appetite enhancer!), your dessert may remain frozen (unintentionally, of course), the same song on the CD player may repeat 15 times before you notice it and a host of other embarrassing things may occur (yes, this is also from experience). But when you think of our primary focus: to love others in a tangible, touchable, sharing way - it's not about being the perfect hostess that really matters; it's being a loving friend. And you'll find you're the more blessed when it's all over, for it truly is more blessed to give than to receive.

Have a blessed day,

Lori