Holiday Family Traditions: Entertaining Angels
An experience with hospitality and entertaining angels happened in my youth, and the lessons learned have never left me.
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Entertaining Angels
He was from Germany.
His English was limited; however, he needed immediate assistance so he made his way to the church building where my father led a congregation.
After a short visit with the man, my father learned that he was alone in our country, his family still in Germany.
After making arrangements for temporary financial assistance, my father invited the man into our home for dinner.
It was Thanksgiving Day, after all.
Around the Table
Growing up in a small town, we knew all our neighbors.
It seemed foreign to have a stranger at our table, especially a stranger from another land.
Yet there was a sense of excitement as my siblings and I gathered around the table and met this man who would be sharing with us our traditional Thanksgiving feast.
Roasted turkey
Creamy mashed potatoes
Thick, peppery gravy
Warm baked beans
Homemade rolls dripping in butter
A variety of fresh fruit pies
The food must have been as foreign to the foreigner as his accent was to us, yet he exuded only gratitude.
A Stranger No More
I don’t recall the conversation from that day, but I’ll never forget the feeling I had—a feeling created from a beautiful mixture of hospitality and community, unity, diversity and love.
As time went on, that feeling never fully left me.
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.
Hebrews 13:2
A New Family Tradition
Years later when I started my own family, I thought back to that Thanksgiving dinner so many years earlier—the dinner where my father opened our home to a stranger, and the rest of my family welcomed him with open arms.
I longed to have similar experiences around our dinner table.
Unfortunately, the path forward held a few obstacles which took time to overcome.
The Courage To Live My Story
Everyone has a story to tell, though I didn’t always realize it.
There was a time when I hid in my house behind locked doors, blind to the happenings of others.
Why?
Out of shame for my own story.
Shame for certain things in my life that I preferred to keep hidden.
“Yes, remaining hidden would be best“, I thought, until one day…
One day, a peculiar thought entered my mind. I felt I should invite someone over for dinner.
A young family from church came to mind. I would invite them.
I would somehow build up the courage to invite this family into our home.
But what would I feed them? Tacos. Tacos are easy, I realized, after a few panicky moments. We would have tacos for dinner.
The Invitation
Soon after, I extended an invitation to this young family to join us for dinner.
The enthusiastically accepted.
When the big day finally arrived, they came to our home, sat around our worn dining table, ate tacos, and visited with us for several hours.
Turns out, our families were a match made in heaven. Twelve years, a move, and several children later, we still gather together around the dinner table.
Unbeknownst to me, that one dinner invitation twelve years ago sparked within me a fire–a fire to hear the stories of others while gathered around the dinner table.
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A New Holiday Tradition: Entertaining Angels
This experience with our new friends, and the experience my dad and family had years ago when inviting a foreigner to our Thanksgiving table, cultivated in me a desire to create experiences like this on a regular basis.
Therefore, each year during the holiday season, our family invites others to join us at our dinner table.
Sometimes the occasion is extra special, like Christmas Eve dinner; other times is something more casual, like game night and dessert.
True, the menu is different from what my mother served on that Thanksgiving Day all those years ago.
But the feeling is the same.
Consider
- What holiday traditions run deep in your family?
- What traditions would you like to start this year?
- In what ways might your traditions include entertaining angels?
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Quote
“You may ask how can one determine when a tradition is in conflict with the teachings of the Lord and should be abandoned? That is not easily done. I have found how difficult it is as I work to overcome some of my own incorrect traditions. Yet recognizing the need to do it is a major step towards success. Customs and traditions become an inherent part of us. They are not easy to evaluate objectively. Carefully study the scriptures and counsel of the prophets to understand how the Lord wants you to live. Then evaluate each part of your life and make any adjustments needed.” ~ Richard G. Scott, “Removing Barriers to Happiness”, 1998
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Kaboom Pics: https://kaboompics.com/photo/19701/preparing-a-thanksgiving-dinner-festive-meal
