When I was a young boy, my folks met a wonderful couple with three girls – well, two girls and one on the way. In fact, my Mom was pregnant with my youngest brother, Ken, at the same time. That was when I met Janet and throughout the ensuing years, my two brothers and I got to know the Boyd girls. Janet was the middle child, Deb is the oldest and Nancy is her youngest sister. We all virtually grew up together, living several blocks apart, attending the same elementary school and also the same church.
My parents and Janet’s parents became best friends and the rest is history. Now, 64 years later, Janet’s folks, my folks and even Ken, my youngest brother, are gone. My brother, Doug, and I are all that are left of our nuclear family. And Janet’s sisters are like the sisters I never had. We are very close – and when the girls get together, it’s like time has stood still since their last reunion. We are all growing old together.
There is great comfort in having known people almost your entire life. We each know each other’s strengths and idiosyncrasies. And we all get along. Both Deb and Nancy have already downsized so the last several times the girls have had a get together, we have hosted it in Indianapolis. Sometimes, the sisters meet up in suburban Chicago or Williamsburg, but wherever it is, it is always a joy to see the three girls get together. It has been a tremendous blessing to watch the girls honor the wishes of their parents to always love one another well regardless of anything else.
It is also a blessing to see them laugh and love one another with such total commitment. When Janet had her strokes last year, the other girls would have done anything to help out. They both came to Carmel as soon as it was medically possible for Janet to have any visitors. Several times each year, this ritual occurs. The husbands know that the purpose of the meetings is for the sisters to have time together – and we all understand that. Sometimes, we are present – other times not… But we are always available to cook, shop or whatever we can do to enhance the visit for our wives. This weekend, we hosted one of the gatherings of the sisters. So, tonight, we are once again alone with great memories of what has transpired the past several days.
Janet and I are not very social creatures. We enjoy each other and rarely entertain or have others in our home. There is nothing wrong with the idea of hospitality, but it is not one of Janet’s spiritual gifts. And as we age, we are showing signs of getting tired easier, but that never stops us from welcoming Janet’s sisters.
Our verse for tonight highlights the biblical perspective on hospitality. We don’t all have that spiritual gift, but God expects us to love one another and offer hospitality when we have the chance. The apostle Paul, in one of his pastoral epistles to his young friend, Timothy, tells his protege, and us, in 1 Timothy 4:8-9, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
My encouragement this evening is that God always wants us to love one another well and to do so with a happy heart. For many people, that is a big ask, but it’s easy when it’s family and especially when it’s people you have known your whole life. My prayer is that you have relationships in your life that are as special as the ones that Janet has with her sisters! Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…