FRIENDLY WELCOME

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13:2

"Are you sure your Amish friends won't mind us stopping by?" Rick asked Wayne as they drove onto a graveled driveway.

Rick's wife, Eileen, nodded. "We feel funny about dropping in announced."

Wayne turned off the car's engine. "I've known Eli for some time. I'm sure he and Joanna will be pleased to meet our friends."

"Joanna and Eli have always been hospitable to me," Wayne's wife, Karen, added.

As they left the car and strolled past an Amish buggy parked near the barn, Eileen's apprehension rose. Would this Amish couple really welcome people they had never met?

When they entered the expansive yard, Eileen noticed two children romping in the nearby creek. The tow-headed boy's dark trousers were rolled to the knees, and blue cotton shirttails peeked around tan suspenders. The little girl didn't seem to care that the hem of her long blue dress was getting wet, while she giggled and flicked water with her bare toes.

A young Amish woman wearing a dark green dress with black cape and apron stepped out the back door. A tall Amish man with reddish blond hair and matching beard followed. Wayne made the introductions, explaining that Rick and Eileen where visiting from the state of Washington.

"Welcome," Joanna said, motioning to the picnic table. "Would you care to sit awhile?"

"Maybe you'd like a glass of iced tea," Eli offered with a friendly grin.

For the next hour, the three couples sat at the picnic table, visiting, watching the children play, and savoring the pleasant taste of cool mint tea.

When it was time to go, Eileen shook Joanna's hand and said, "Thank you for your hospitality. We've enjoyed our visit."

"You're welcome," Joanna replied.

As they drove away, Eileen reflected on their time spent with the Amish family. She felt like they had made some new friends. Would I have been as pleasant and hospitable if uninvited guests had showed up at my house? How many times have I put off writing a letter or phoning a friend because I was too busy? When was the last time I entertained strangers?

Hospitality seems easier when we are with family and friends, but God reminds us to entertain those outside our familiar circle. In Mark 9:41 we are reminded that Jesus said, "For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward." Whether it be a cup of water or a glass of iced tea, God is pleased when we show hospitality. After all, for some people, our friendship and hospitality may be the only Jesus they will ever see.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Good friends are like good quilts; they never lose their warmth.

Wanda E. Brunstetter enjoys writing about the Amish because they live a peaceful, simple life-something she says we all need in this day and age. Using the knowledge her Amish friends have shared with her, Wanda has also produced several children's titles in the Rachel Yoder-Always Trouble Somewhere series, an Amish cookbook, and a devotional collection entitled The Simple Life, which was released in July 2008 and celebrates the virtues of the Amish lifestyle. Wanda and her husband are members of the Fellowship of Christian Magicians. Wanda is also a member of the North American Association of Ventriloquists, American Christian Fiction Writers,the Romance Writers of America, The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and the Northwest Christian Writers Association. For more information, visit her Web site at www.wandabrunstetter.com.