The Gift of a Warm Welcome
On Christmas Eve in 1982, a winter storm dumped an overwhelming amount of snow on the Colorado Front Range, shutting down the capital city of Denver overnight. Travelers were stranded in the international airport for 36 hours, and the city and holiday festivities were brought to a standstill.
45 miles northwest, my family was settling in to weather the storm. The electricity had gone out. Snow was blowing across the field across from our house, whipping beneath the garage door to create an indoor ice cave. Drifts piled against the fence stretched across the front yard, obscuring the view of the Longs Peak Mountain normally framed in the picture window of the living room. The blizzard blowing along the highway running directly parallel to our front door completely obliterated the house from drivers’ views as they attempted to reach their destinations. My father trudged to the road and discovered several cars pulled over, unable to proceed. Knocking on the windows, he informed the stranded drivers that beyond the wall of white was shelter. He invited them to step out of the dangers of the blizzard and to step through the door to be welcomed into our home.
That holiday evening, usually shared with well-known friends and loved ones, was spent hosting seven strangers stuck in the storm. Candles were lit and makeshift sleeping pallets were spread out. My mom made hot chocolate on a camping stove, and the adults ended up playing cards most of the night. The next morning, after the roads cleared, the unexpected visitors went on to their destinations.
Years later, I came home from college for Christmas and found a newcomer at our table. This man was new to the community and church. He had no family nearby, so my parents invited him to spend the holiday with us. During my brief few weeks at home, this gentleman spent many days eating meals with us, played cards in the evenings, and even trudged into the mountains with us to chop down our family tree.
Fast forward to when I was newly married. My husband and I moved to begin our first full-time ministry work. We were a 12-hour drive from his parents, and 32 hours from mine. Thankfully, an elder and his wife befriended us from the start. Mark and Rosalind Massey had two high school age boys. Although they were approaching their empty-nest years, and we had yet to embark on our own parenthood journey, they embraced us. I fondly remember meals together, back-porch visits, and overnight stays in their guest room. We even spent multiple days one Christmas with Rosalind’s parents when we could not get home for the holiday. Not only did they mentor us during those initial years, but they loved us in the best possible way by fully inviting and welcoming us into their lives.
These stories are examples of living out Leviticus 19:34, which states: “You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (ESV).
Notice the wording here. The long-termers are to treat the strangers, the newcomers, as natives. Such a common theme in Scripture, isn’t it? Luke was so impressed with a welcome he received that he observes in Acts 28:2: “the native people showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold” (ESV).
Why is it unusual to show such kindness to strangers? You shouldn’t leave others out in the elements to suffer and fend for themselves. And yet, when we receive such kindness, it often takes us by surprise.
Especially during the holiday season, we turn our thoughts to acts of generosity and extending kindness to others. Showing kindness and being welcoming is appropriate every day of the year, however. Whether it is a stranger needing shelter from the elements, a visitor needing someone to share a meal, or a newcomer needing community, resolve to be the one to welcome—even if you have to leave the comfort of your home and trudge through the storm to invite them in. Be purposeful about welcoming others, and plan to surprise someone with unusual kindness.
