So each day this week I'll be sharing a post about a hospitality lesson I am learning as I walk the lake. Today's lesson is about REST.
When someone extends hospitality to you, they are usually offering rest in some form. Hospitality tends to include a safe place to stop, sit, and rejuvenate.
Rest is in short supply these days. Over 60% of those surveyed in a global study said they don't get the sleep they need. We walk through life tired and stressed. So a hospitality that invites us into rest is needed indeed.
As I walked the lake I found multiple homes along the lake that made a place for hikers to stop and rest. This picture is my favorite. It's hard to tell from the photo but this oversized beach chair requires climbing up to and holds two people easily. I sat here and rested on a recent 9 mile stretch of walking.
What stood out to me about this one is that they took the time to not only make the chair available but also to put a simple message on the chair, "Staflein Family Lake House, Please Stay & Sit."
First, they named themselves. This chair became the property of the Staflein family . . . real people who desired to show hospitality. Second, they invited me to stop my walk. That shows a boldness in the asking. They could have simply let me walk by, but their sign caught my eye and their invitation stayed my gaze long enough to consider their offer. Finally, they made a fun and comfortable place to rest.
Real people who boldly asked and backed up their ask with real rest. There is a lot to learn from this simple chair along Geneva Lake!
"The ornament of the house is the friends who frequent it." Ralph Waldo Emerson
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