hospitality ...unexpected | greengal777's Blog

This is a fantastic story. Last night I went out with my brother and his friend to a friend's art studio grand opening. On the way my brother's friend, who is such a gentle , dynamic soul was talking about some work he had been doing in Toronto. He does repair work on contract and was working on fixing some play ground equipment in a very very poor part of Toronto.

This friend had been working on repairing the slide and was short of some wood so he went to one of the houses nearby and knocked on the door. An older middle-eastern man opened the door. My brother's friend proceeded to ask if the man had some wood so he could finish repairing the slide. Well, it turned out that this man did not have any wood but.. he invited my brother's friend in for dinner (that his wife was preparing) He said the smell of the food was enticing and he was almost salivating because it was so powerful but he said no , that he had to finish working. The man continued to insist that when he was done working that he return to have dinner with his family. My friend then, with no more persuasion , agreed . When he was done the work he returned to the man's house. The man greated him with great enthusiasm and encouraged him to come inside. As my friend looked around he saw there was no couch, tv, computer or even chairs. There were large pillows scattered over the floor. They were brightly coloured and very luxurious. On the walls and on the floor were large , ornate rugs done in many colours and patterned richly. This family did not possess much but were more than open to share their home and meal with a stranger. I thought that these people must have been hungry for conversation so they welcomed my friend in. He sat down on the deep pillows and relaxed a bit after a hard day's work. The man came forward with a large bowl of warm water. My friend was a little confused as to what to do with it. He thought that the bowl was too large to drink from. The man of the house explained that the water was to wash his hands with. However, this man did not just let my friend wash his hands... he actually washed his hands for him (with great ceremony) This made a considerable impression on my friend. It reminds me of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. It is great to see this tradition of acceptance in to one's own community and opening of one's home still continued today. After this they ate dinner together and it was a wonderful, large meal. It was not overly fancy but it was filling and the company was satisfying. The man of the house and his wife talked about their life back in the Middle-east before they came to Canada and how things changed for them when they settled here. Of course my friend was really enjoying himself and soaking it all in. He just seems to get along really well with anyone, no matter where or how they meet. They had little cutlery in the home because , traditionally , these people ate with their hands and still continued to do so .So he just joined right in. Later on, one of the couples' sons came home . When he saw my friend he immediately came up to him and bowed low to him and held out both of his hands in front of my friend as a sign of welcome. It must have been just a super time. After the meal was finished they sat and talked some more of their families and life past and present and shared of each other. That day my friend, as usual , made some new friends and learned of the generosity of people who have little and how this tradition still carries on, in places, even today . It is a special thing to see that people can and do still reach out to strangers and share what they have, even if little, to give and take...

to share of the little we have can bring back a river of blessing...

something to remember...