During the last meal Jesus had on earth, He instructed us to remember Him by the very thing we indulge in every day without thought.
Family dinner night started from a prophetic vision over my husband at our church’s retreat. Through hospitality, we could bring people in and have them leave differently. No pressure, no expectation, just a loving household.
We prayed over what this could be and three things stood out: relationships, food and openness. The Lord revealed each person who should come. We also brought our kids into this, teaching them how to take their requests to God and ask for it. In these bold prayers, they specifically asked God to bring families with children and the Lord provided abundantly!
Our dinner was now our mission field where conversation flowed easily, God-related or not. The Holy Spirit led. Our family never hid who we were: all broken people loved by the Lord. Community and college students from the University in our town knew they could expect honesty, from our current moods to large life questions to our adorably crazy kids.
Our house is a bit messy for Family Dinner Night because that is how we normally have it. We were authentic. And that let others be, too. From these dinners also came our open-door policy where people knew they could stop by anytime. They felt safe to come with their questions, burdens, and celebrations. For us, hospitality goes beyond inviting people into our homes; we invite them into our lives. And through this openness comes true transformation.
No Comments