Anyone who knows me knows how much I love and adore showing hospitality. I guess I can say it started when I was a child growing up in New York City. I lived in a house where I learned the importance of being hospitable and serving others. My Nana would welcome everyone into her home with love, respect, and a good time. Our 2 bedroom New York apartment would be full of so many of our family, friends, and neighbors for every occasion and just because. I always enjoyed seeing everyone happy, laughing, dancing, eating, and enjoying themselves. I especially loved spending time with the ones I loved. I realized this culture of hospitality was embedded in me at a very young age. I knew when I grew up that I would make people feel like how our guests would feel whenever they were in my presence.
As I started working in the workforce most of my jobs were in customer service and hospitality. I remember my first job at Chuck E. Cheese being a Party host. I loved to plan birthday party events and dance and sing with the children. I even got to be Chuck E. Cheese a few times until the children figured out a girl was in the costume LOL. Bringing joy to the children and their families was something I truly enjoyed.
Throughout my career, I understood the importance of being hospitable and serving others. I learned on a family trip to Disney World the true meaning of exceptional hospitality. On our Disney Cruise, there was a moment when they messed up my dad's cheeseburger order. It was a simple mistake and they remade him a burger. We went on about our day. When we returned to our room there was a platter of chocolate-covered strawberries and a note apologizing for the mistake. This extra step and gesture showed me a different level of hospitality that I aspired to master in my life.
From that moment forward I dedicated my life to hospitality and even made it my mission to work for, train under, and learn from the biggest hospitality brands in the world. My career has taken me all across the United States working in some of the major tourism markets. I have worked in Atlanta, GA, Orlando, FL, Times Square NYC, and Los Angeles, CA. I have worked with brands such as Wyndham, Hyatt, Walt Disney World, Hilton, Starwood, Marriott, & Chick-fil-A.
As I reflect on my career and journey, I learned that hospitality has to be shown to you and be inside of you. Just like I saw my Nana be hospitable to everyone who came into our home, it was embedded in me to be the same.
In my quiet time with God, I learned that being hospitable and serving others are lessons God teaches us in the Bible. In one specific study, God led me to the scriptures about a woman named Lydia in Acts 16: 11-15. In these scriptures, we learn about Paul, Silas, and Timothy being led by God from a vision of a man to head to Macedonia. They ended up in Philippi and began to pray and speak the gospel to a few women. Lydia was one of those women.
Lydia was a wealthy businesswoman based on the context of her selling purple cloth which was sold mainly to wealthy people. Lydia believed in God but Paul taught her about Jesus. She and her family believed and were baptized. After becoming a Believer, she invited Paul and them to stay with her and insisted they would stay with her. So they stayed.
As I prayed to God for revelation on what I could learn from Lydia's story he gave me so much insight. I want to share some of the lessons God shared with me, hoping that it inspires you.
Lessons from Lydia:
Be in the Posture to Receive the Presence of God
Lydia already had faith in God. She just had to believe to receive it! And because she believed God opened up her heart and led her family to all be baptized. Allow God to speak to your heart and open it up to him. Just imagine how your leadership in your family can save your entire household. One woman saved her entire household!
Being a Good Steward with Wealth
Many people are striving for wealth, riches, and rewards. Lydia's life reminds us that being a wealthy businessperson shouldn't stop you from being surrendered to God. It should be something we include God in. It also shows me how we can be a blessing to others with our wealth.
Showing Hospitality
When Lydia invited Paul, Silas, and Timothy in her home she was showing her heart to serve. She was a blessing to others. Lydia's home became a safe place for them to rest and refresh. Whenever guests are in your presence, I hope you are encouraged to show hospitality to them and serve them like God has shown us in Lydia's life.
I hope my journey and this lesson on creating a culture of hospitality inspire you to be of service to others. I truly believe if more people showed genuine love, care, and respect for others this world would truly become a better place. That is only my hope and mission as I freely write these blogs. If I bless at least one person and then they bless someone else it is a continuous cycle of being a blessing to each other. That is truly what God calls us to do.
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