"Welcome"

Every time they said it,

Joy and excitement gave,

They’d say, somebody’s comin’,

To our road never paved.

Who is it, I would wonder,

As the dust cloud came in view,

And pretty soon the driveway,

I’d run to say, how do!

Maybe there’s a family,

Who drove this way from town,

To have a Sunday visit,

For ice cream came around.

Or maybe my Aunt Ruby,

With my cousins, uncle, too,

They lived in South Carolina,

Drove to Bama all day through.

Could be Uncles Ward, Roy, or Ralph,

They’d show up with our kin,

Stay right through Thanksgiving,

And how we enjoyed them.

People came for Christmas,

My folks would cook up large,

Lots of food and music,

No doubt, my Dad in charge.

It wasn’t I was lonely,

Out there horseback, cowboy way,

Or bored with what I had to do,

Cause all that was okay.

It’s just I really liked it,

When people came to call,

And so did my whole family,

They welcomed one and all.

And every now and then again,

A lost soul wandered in,

Someone tired and hungry,

No telling where they’d been.

And Momma always set a place,

On the off chance someone came,

Sometimes they were familiar,

Some we hardly knew their name.

You can call it southern,

Say it’s hospitality,

But I think it was something more,

Than manners, don’t you see.

But the thought that God had blessed us,

And we had no right,

To be stingy with the blessing,

Or any person slight.

Remember if we welcome,

Even the least of these,

We’re doing it for Jesus,

And then the Father please.

You can tell a lot about folks,

By the kindness that they show,

And many who were strangers,

Left feelin’ better, so,

When you see ‘em comin’,

The warmest welcome give,

Claim the joy of giving,

It’s the best way yet to live.

“Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” (Hebrews 13:2, NLT)

The Bible puts a lot of emphasis on welcoming others. Jesus said if we welcome the children, for example, we are welcoming Him. He said when we minister to the least of these, it’s the same as ministering to Him. Hospitality is perhaps the most effective tool for winning people to Christ who need to know Him, and was the method Jesus employed in His earthly ministry. He ate and drank with “notorious” sinners, but all in order to lead the into a righteous life. So, it’s no surprise that the writer of Hebrews says we should always show hospitality to strangers because you never know when you’re entertaining an angel unaware. The hospitality we show reflects the welcome God has given us, not based on what we deserve but based upon His grace.

Lord, help us welcome one another, and especially strangers, in Jesus’ name.