"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love...given to hospitality..."Romans 12:10,13
Good morning, ladies!
I can remember a time in my life, when coffee was just not a priority.
How did I ever survive?
My children have been reminded fairly often not to talk or even make eye contact with me in the morning before that first delicious sip of life giving nectar. I haven't yet mastered the skill of drinking it straight like my mother-in-law, but still, I do enjoy my daily coffee.
Living in France, it's a good thing.
Having someone over for a cup of coffee in France is more than just an invitation for a hot drink. A cup of coffee represents a person opening her home, inviting pleasant conversation, and sharing of her life. It is a welcome break in a busy day, at the very least a convival pause where time is not so much a factor as is the company.
Like many aspects of French etiquette, there is a measure of "savoir faire" (the "right way") for having a guest for coffee.
The most important is stamina.
I have invited ladies over for a spontaneous cup of coffee. Often they reply, "Well, a quick cup," and then stay for over an hour. Anything less would be considered inhospitable. I have been invited for coffee, and have stayed for as long as three hours, extending coffee time to snack time to almost the next meal.
There was a time in America, I am told, when having a neighbor over for coffee was, well, the neighborly thing to do. That is, when we knew our neighbors and people were actually home. But that's a subject for another blog post.
The Bible reminds us to be given to hospitality, which literally means to be lovers of strangers. Opening my home to others is not optional--it is a commandment given in the context of showing love to those in the family of Christ, as much as having an open door and a safe haven for strangers to be welcomed in.
It is during this relaxed setting that trust is built, friendships are formed, lifelines are extended, and the good news of Christ shared.
Is is inconvenient? Sometimes. Does it take time and energy? Of course.
Is it worth the effort? Most definitely.
So, with whom will you share a cup of coffee today?
There was a time in America, I am told, when having a neighbor over for coffee was, well, the neighborly thing to do. That is, when we knew our neighbors and people were actually home. But that's a subject for another blog post.
The Bible reminds us to be given to hospitality, which literally means to be lovers of strangers. Opening my home to others is not optional--it is a commandment given in the context of showing love to those in the family of Christ, as much as having an open door and a safe haven for strangers to be welcomed in.
It is during this relaxed setting that trust is built, friendships are formed, lifelines are extended, and the good news of Christ shared.
Is is inconvenient? Sometimes. Does it take time and energy? Of course.
Is it worth the effort? Most definitely.
So, with whom will you share a cup of coffee today?
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