Southern Hospitality

Hospitality is defined as: hospitable treatment, reception, or disposition. But here in the South, they take it to a whole new level. Maybe it’s because we are the town preacher and his wife, or perhaps it’s because we have absolutely no idea what we are doing, but these people have spoiled us beyond belief. Here is a list of what we have been gifted with physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

•         A sweet tea making kit, a wreath for our door, towels, and bedding for 2 of our beds from a North Carolina native living in Texas who wanted to start us off on the right foot.
•          A kitchen counter full of cleaning supplies, food, and other necessities
•     A fridge and freezer stocked with the southern cooking necessities including grits, buttermilk biscuits, homemade cinnamon rolls, homemade strawberry and blackberry jelly, pork sausage, and fresh picked eggs
•     3 lbs of red potatoes, and a bag of cucumbers and tomatoes from our lovely neighbor’s garden
•     8 fresh picked peaches
•          A Tupperware container full of fresh blueberries from a parishioners garden
•      A vase full of wildflowers
•     A rotisserie chicken
•     A watermelon, two cantaloupes, and some sweet corn from a parishioner’s farm
•     Multiple visits with our next door neighbors, who are quickly becoming our angels.
•     A soul-pleasing blueberry brunch with a new family at the church including breakfast casserole, blueberry pancakes, bacon, blueberry cinnamon rolls, and of course a side of fresh blueberries. Oh and I had the pleasure of making the fresh orange juice!
•     Handmade bag clips complete with the Duke Emblem
•     2 cookbooks
•      Multiple kind notes and cards of welcome
•      Cornbread and a pot of black eyed peas

As you can tell from this list, we are doing so much better than we deserve (as my husband would say). Our stomachs are full, but our hearts are fuller. What a joy it is getting to share in fellowship with the people of Broadway United Methodist Church. I hope that over the next 4 years Michael and I will be able to return their hospitality. Tonight we will host our first ever event at the parsonage. It's just desserts and coffee with one of the Sunday School classes, but I've been working my tail off hoping to impress them. Wish us luck!

And that is what happens when a teacher marries a preacher…