Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

— Hebrews 13:2

During my first year as a missionary on Panay Island in the Philippines, while I was still single, I heard someone knocking at my gate. It was Pastor Raul and his wife, Valerie, and they informed me that they would stay with me for a few days. Raul had been one of my students a couple years earlier on Negros Island. They had arrived a few days early for a conference.

I was astounded and didn’t know what to say! I wasn’t used to having someone show up at my home unannounced and say they were going to stay with me. But I had an extra room, and there was no real reason to turn them away—so somehow the Lord led me to say, “Okay.”

It helped that I understood that Filipinos are masters at hospitality (so I needed to learn from them). In addition, I soon realized that, of course, there was no phone for informing me in advance, and that my guests wouldn’t expect too much of me. Though this called for a change of plans and some extra effort on my part, it worked out fine, and I was blessed by my guests’ presence.

Hospitality bridges all kinds of barriers in amazing ways, especially in cross-cultural situations. And it’s about opening not only our homes but also our hearts. The gospel often travels easily across this bridge.

Help us, Lord, to discover the joys of opening our homes and hearts to others. May we honor you in sharing the gifts you give us. Amen.