Do you have a heart for hospitality? Do you wish you did? Were you raised with an example of inviting people into your lives? Do you want that for your children? Jen Schmidt's Just Open the Door - How One Invitation Can Change a Generation will walk you through her own journey to learning godly hospitality, as well as giving encouragement and examples for her readers to do the same.
This is one of those books that I picked up because I thought, "hey, sure, I'd like to be more hospitable, and I'd like some ideas on how to do that," and then, wow, conviction and challenge comes walloping in. Jen's hospitality doesn't just include hosting a pretty girls' dessert night once a month, or inviting your kids' best friends over for a barbecue on the fourth of July. No, Jen's hospitality is of the anytime, any kind variety, the keep-a-room-for-anyone-who-needs-one variety. She leaves the reader with no excuses to not open their door and find someone to invite in, not a messy house, not a lack of money, no pre-planning necessary. From spur of the moment invites that result in 75 people at her apartment, to a party that continued with no power, she demonstrates hospitality in all kinds of situations. However, don't think that she's some sort of perfect party planner; she confesses to moments where she wants to hide behind a closed door, and her children have convicted her by speaking up that they miss having people over. Instead, she speaks very clearly that the "open door," isn't just a physical opening of her tangible front door, but rather an opening of her heart to God's plan for her life and for Him to use it in any circumstance, using hospitality to draw people to Him.
In addition to the call to begin with opening your heart before opening your door, she also gives very concrete examples of ways to show hospitality. With ideas like keeping a frozen pound cake in the freezer, with options to "dress" it up for a spontaneous coffee date, or very real advice like throwing everything in a room in a bin and hiding it in the shower when someone's on their way, her advice is practical, and practicable.
I give this book 5 stars; it certainly calls the reader to its purpose and gives clear examples of the joy and change that can come through opening your heart, and then opening your door.
You can find Just Open the Door HERE.
You can find Jen's blog with more hospitable and frugal living tips HERE.
I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.
