The Hospitable Heart

Today I stood barefoot in the kitchen with a baby on my hip. I saw myself from outside my own body, living into the historical stereotype of women. And I must confess that in this moment, I loved it.

Now if you knew anything about me, you’d know that this is not a common picture. I am not the cook of the family. In fact, my presence alone in the kitchen while my husband is cooking is usually enough to raise stress levels and drain pleasure from a sacred space.

But as I cooked a pan of teriyaki stir fry with a wooden spatula – wondering if I’d chosen the best utensil and simultaneously not caring at all if I did not – something dawned on me. I saw my blessings.

This kind of revelation only happens when my mind and heart are calibrated to see, process and feel all within the same moment. And that is unfortunately far less often than I would like. But when it does I welcome it with a smile and a pause. And so that’s what hospitality of heart looked like for me today. With a grateful heart, I welcomed the circumstances around me, instead of treating them with dread, complaint, or disregard.

I felt my sweet baby boy cuddling close as I juggled him from hip to hip.

I watched my husband play hide & seek with the older kids, chasing and searching and taking turns.

I gazed into my son’s eyes as he proudly announced that he counted to 10 twice.

I loved him all the more when he bounded off in joy not caring at all about my questioning if that meant he actually counted to 20.

I felt competent when a racing body flew past me shouting: “Something smells good!”

I felt joyfully incompetent when that same body reasoned that even though he only ate one piece of pork at dinner he had to chew it a lot so it was really like he was eating many pieces. (Thank you 4 yr old for that dig at my overcooked meat)

I enjoyed the gifts of food to eat, a table to gather around, and laughter to be shared.

There are countless other blessings I noticed and said “thank you” for. What I remember was that I felt. My heart was hospitable to my surroundings, to my feelings toward my surroundings, and to the One who has given me these good gifts. And for that softness I am grateful.