Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. – Romans 12

One of our dog Max’s many positive attributes is his gracious acceptance of absolutely anyone he meets – and that includes other animals too. He is, in a sense, the Will Rogers (“I never met a man I didn’t like”) of the canine world.

So this weekend our sister-in-law Lynda came to visit, along with her beautiful Welsh Springer Spaniel Ellie.

Ellie, always meticulously groomed, is a show-dog. Whereas Max was trained as a service dog. They got on together beautifully. Although, while Ellie absolutely picked up on Max’s chill vibe I’m not sure that Max learned anything in the way posture or showmanship!

But, and I know it sounds silly to think this way about a dog, Max seemed genuinely happy to have a friend in the house. He tried to prance around like he wasn’t an old dog, and I swear I could see him smiling at times.

Friday evening we took Lynda to experience On the Square where we enjoyed the Calamari, Pan Seared Swordfish, Petite Filet and Lemon Meringue.

As usual, On the Square made exactly the right impression. “Fine dining just a short walk from your house?”

You bet, this is Tarboro!

Rebekah and I have always enjoyed being able to share what we love with others. Our home, our community… our pets! And this is, I believe, the essence of the “hospitality” the scriptures talk about. Not trying to present some lavish façade that doesn’t reflect who we are but sharing our blessings and our love.

Importantly, as real “hospitality” is sharing who we are and what we love with others, this must also mean our faith. Do we love God? Then share that part of ourselves too!

Not contrived, not showy, not coercive – but a natural extension of the riches that we have. Good food, good company, good faith. Why-ever not?

In love, and because love is something worth sharing – DEREK