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Reflection: |
Once
you've
invited
someone
to
share
food
in
your
home,
that
person
will
be
your
friend
forever.
This
advice
was
offered
to
me
by
my
supervisor
when
I
was
a
young
career
professional,
learning
how
to
manage
a
department
of
employees
and
relate
to
colleagues
and
clients.
I
took
it
to
heart,
not
simply
as a
way
to
further
my
career
but
as a
way
to
build
relationships.
Although
I
lived
in a
relatively
small
apartment
at
the
time,
with
a
tiny
kitchen
not
well
suited
to
entertaining
large
groups,
I
frequently
invited
people
over.
I
had
parties
for
my
staff
to
celebrate
holidays
and
special
accomplishments.
A
women's
dinner
group
I
helped
start
still
meets,
twenty-three
years
later.
Often,
when
working
with
other
volunteers
on a
community
or
church
project,
we
solved
problems
and
made
plans
over
pizza
or a
potluck
at
my
place
or
at
theirs.
Today,
I
live
in
an
old
farmhouse,
spacious
in
comparison
to
that
apartment,
and
my
inclination
to
host
and
feed
people
continues.
Hospitality
has
become
for
me a
spiritual
practice.
My
husband
Jeff
and
I
welcome
foreign
visitors,
students
performing
concerts
at
the
church,
spiritual
seekers
looking
for
a
place
to
reflect
and
rest,
and
other
guests
visiting
Des
Moines.
When
people
share
common
interests
and
goals,
as
did
the
early
apostles
described
in
this
passage
from
Acts,
it
seems
natural
that
their
enthusiasm
and
dedication
spill
over
into
the
evening
hours,
when,
gathered
around
a
table,
they
break
bread
and
celebrate
friendship
that
gladdens
the
heart. |