Joining up with Lisa Jo and with the Nester today - and trying to *combine* 5MF and my 31 Days topic in one short and maybe sweet post... I'll spend more than just a couple of minutes thinking about this one, I do believe!
from Gypsy Mama -->
"...every Friday we pause and do a kind of mad, flash mob celebration of the written word, eh? Come join a weekly flash mob of writers at Five Minute Friday, where a beautiful crowd spends five minutes all writing on the same topic then sharing ‘em...
Now, set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes to just write without worrying if it’s just right or not.
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
Oh and Ahem, if you would take pity and turn off comment verification, it would make leaving some love on your post that much easier for folks!
OK, are you ready? In the spirit of welcoming the 31 Dayers to join us, won’t you please give me your best five minutes on..."
Welcome…
"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear." I Peter 3.3-6
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| My beautiful, gentle and most welcoming friend... She's seeking... praying she finds the One for whom she's searching. |
"Je vous en prie."
~ or ~
"You're most welcome."
"I beg of you, think nothing of it."
"After you."
Even "Please..."
Literally? This French phrase means "I beg (the aforementioned thing of) you."
A polite, more formal expression, these words generally show up following "Merci!" as the equivalent in English of "You're welcome." Typically used in service or business circumstances, it is also appropriate in any situation where the triggering expression of gratitude seems deeply-felt. I find I hear this expression (and therefore try to use it myself) when the speaker seeks to communicate a more formal and emphatic "You're most welcome" instead of "Hey, no problem." or "It was nothing!" There are some times, however, when its use simply signifies "Please..." or "After you," as when someone bids me to walk ahead of them through the door they've held open for me.
These words remind me of the kind of words a gentleman (or gentlewoman) might utter.
*smile*
A gentle and quiet spirit can sincerely accept and receive thankfulness offered from the heart of another... without discounting or brushing it off, downplaying their own service as nothing. A gentle and quiet spirit has the confidence to say, "Yes, serving you cost me something... and it was my great privilege to pay that price, to love you in such a way."
And now I'm wondering... Does God ever say thank you to me? Does He appreciate the earthly cost (which on many days I've counted and am more than willing to pay) that obeying and following Him exacts? While I know obedience is the only right response, is my Savior still grateful when I choose to agree with Him, respecting His desires? Could it be that the gentle, quiet and classy way acknowledging the Lord's pleased appraisal in those times is simply to say, "Jesus, You are most welcome."
And might that word of hospitality invite Him to continue working on and changing me, from the inside out?
Love the explanation behind the language and then the closing, an interesting way to think about it that I've never thought of before. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeletemy hubs said the same thing... and then told me not to waste time thinking about something like that. but then, he thinks i think too much! lol!
Deletethanks for popping over and commenting.
such a wonderful post, thank you! Hospitality is so precious in the sight of God. May we grow more and more in it and glorify Him.
ReplyDeletethanks for kind words and for stopping by.
DeleteGreat post! I, too, have really been working on saying "thank you" when people pay me or my family a compliment. It drives my dad nuts when people say, "it was nothing" or "no problem." He just wants people to say "thank you." Sometimes it's a struggle for me but I really make an effort to remember to say "thank you."
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
i saw someone else addressing, in a different way, this same topic. you know where we won't tell what God is doing or how He's working because we're in the midst of the story and we don't want to sound boastful or draw attention to ourselves?
Deleteit was referred to as humblebragging! sometimes it requires more humility to graciously accept someone's thanks and say you're most welcome than it is to downplay our service - and i can't seem to move away from that thought!
glad you popped in today!
Thank you for this...I can thank others...but your welcome...not as easy...and yes it take humility...and a gentle, quiet spirit to receive...this is where I am right now...learning to say your welcome. Blessings to you~
ReplyDeletethanks so much for kind words, ro... and glad i'm not the only one at this point in the journey. it's always better with company!
Deleteblessings back at ya!
It is true that we brush off thanks. I wonder how often I am deeply grateful and how I express it. Working at our house to relearn the lost art of hospitality. Nice to stop by your blog again too!
ReplyDeletei've often said that, at least for me, hospitality to others helps prepare my heart to be hospitable to the Lord and the things He wants to do in my life... and isn't that the same thing as gentleness - laying back in His arms and trusting Him to do what is best without kicking and screaming and crying?
Deletethanks for visiting, again!
thanks so much...
ReplyDelete