Ego Monster

Have you ever attempted to identify your God given gifts? Are you a good listener? Are you amazingly generous? Maybe you're a dynamo at relating to everyone at every age in every situation (man that's a good one). I think I've identified mine...hospitality! What's better than having a bunch of people over to your house and you get to prepare your favorite foods; especially if they plan to stay overnight. You get to put out the red carpet, make sure to tell them to sleep till their hearts content and you get to put out those little juice glasses which double as brushing-your-teeth glasses complete with a folded white paper towel underneath each glass. (Wow, I need therapy!) I'm sorry, this stuff is just so much fun to me...to make someone feel welcomed is the best feeling ever!!! But why is this? Growing up Lutheran, I made sure (a la Martin Luther) to have sufficient and dutiful doubt about the genuineness of my every action....(sometimes a healthy exercise.) Just when I was about to enjoy having done something nice for someone, I'd bite my lip and start the wondering. "What's more important to me? Having that new neighbor enjoy that pie or is it hoping that as I walk away from their front door they're thinking, 'Man, she the nicest neighbor ever!' ewwwww! I don't fret about this as much now (thankfully) but ever so often this questioning rears it's ugly and annoying head. Lucky for me though, today's revelation is that no matter what my intention in a hospitable action, the recipient gets the same result...being loved on, paid attention to and God is working through me in spite of whatever my intention is. So I'll keep on trying to be nice and I'll keep trying to do it for the right reasons. But if that ego monster gets in the way once in a while, I'll smile knowingly as God makes the best of it!