Gratitude/Hospitality
Gratitude, grumble.
Gratitude, grumble.
Gratitude, grumble.
And so it went this recent holiday season that has now faded away. My usual pattern is to start the Christmas season with gratitude, and a heart that truly wants to make the Advent season a sacred space. I consecrate it to the Lord, and ask for His help in keeping my heart and mind in the right place as the days of December march along.
Much of the season I enjoy. Until I don’t. The majority of holiday celebrations with my grown children and grandchildren have been hosted in our home. My husband and I have felt blessed by this. The gratitude piece is in place. We are thankful they like being in our home, and they seem to like my cooking. So when the grumble starts to creep in, I first have to give myself permission to feel it without also feeling guilty.
This last Christmas I was performing my gratitude, grumble flipflop. My daughter’s family was staying with us, and my two sons and their families were in and out throughout the week. And it was fun. And it was exhausting. I had spent the prior few weeks doing the usual; buying and wrapping gifts, making menus and grocery shopping, getting the house ready. I really wanted it to be a special Christmas, since it was also the first birthday of my youngest granddaughter. But I could not keep my heart and mind where I wanted them to be.
How do I do it Lord? How do I practice hospitality without grumbling? Granted, most of my grumbling is inside. I’m not complaining to my family, and certainly attempting not to show some of the cruddier corners of my heart by my behavior.
In addition to seeking God’s help, I think there are some very practical things that would sway our hearts more in the direction of gratitude.
- Spend some time thinking about what you are emotionally and physically capable of in terms of preparing and hosting.
– Delegate. Ask others for more help than you have in the past.
- Lower your expectations. Does everything really need to be made from scratch? Do you really need to cook both Christmas brunch and Christmas dinner?
– Guard your “me” time. Excuse yourself for a nap, a walk, or just some quiet time.
-Beware of your expectations. Hallmark holidays are just not reality.
In rereading 1 Peter 4:9, I’m noticing something for the first time; the phrase to one another.
We are much more able to maintain a posture of gratitude when we are not the only ones offering hospitality, but when it is also being offered to us. Giving yourself permission to do things differently, perhaps even kindly asking someone else to host an event, might be just the ticket to gratitude winning by a landslide.
