Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The Gift of Hospitality

We received a wonderful gift this past week.  My husband and I had the great fortune to visit our dear friends, Paul and Martha, in their home, nestled in the mountains near St Maries (pronounced St Marys), Idaho. And while we were there, they gave us a most precious gift...the gift of hospitality.

If you are fortunate enough to know someone who is blessed with the true spirit of hospitality, you understand what a treasure it is.  Because time spent in their presence leaves you feeling like royalty.  And for five days, that's what we were - royalty.

From the moment we stepped into Paul and Martha's home, my husband and I were pampered.  We were fed delicious food that they had spent days preparing in advance so they would have the time to spend with us instead of working. 

We slept in a pillow-soft bed in a our own room with windows that opened wide to the starlit sky.  Every morning we sipped coffee out on a deck that looked through giant trees and down to a glorious, lake filled valley. We watched hummingbirds feeding so close we could have touched them.

If we simply wanted to read, we were free to simply read.  If we needed a little nap, our bed was ready and waiting.  We shared morning devotions at a sunny breakfast table.  We lifted each other up in prayer. And we laughed together!

And all of this was made possible because Paul and Martha truly have the gift of hospitality.  Now in retirement, they are blessed to be living on the side of a beautiful mountain.  And it is their greatest joy to be able to share this special retreat with people who need a time of refreshment, a time of renewal and peace.

So, to our dear friends, thank you for a much needed respite from a stressful life.  This post is a tribute to you!

Morning coffee on the deck

The first sunset, with a sliver of a moon!

Looking through the pine forest

Dutch Baby for breakfast.  Yum!

Friends enjoying the beautiful mountains

2 comments:

cindy holman said...

This is so sweet! We have friends like this too - and they are a TREASURE! Good for you to get a way and enjoy!

sister sheri said...

What a treat! I wish I was hospitable like that... but I do have the gift of enjoying that hospitality!