A Void @ la Madeleines

As I walked into la Madeleines, I heard the lady in front of me quietly visiting with the hostess. Something seemed very wrong. I looked up and saw a sign on the register in front of me. The sign told about upcoming services for a man named Don. The name didn't register with me at first. All at once it hit me! Don was the man who ALWAYS greeted and took my order at la Madeleines. I shared my condolences with each staff person as I walked down the line toward the register to pay.

Even though I didn’t know Don personally, I was so sad as I ate my Caesar Salad. I had been coming to this restaurant for years and he was a fixture. Here one day and gone the next. I thought about how exceptional he was in his role of welcoming, greeting and helping patrons order.

Welcoming others seems so simple, but often a lost art in our society. Don did it so well! Showing hospitality is not about impressing others with our lovely decorated homes or gourmet cooking. In our work environment, it’s not just about showing off our great YMCA facility. Hospitality is a way of loving our neighbor in the same way God has loved us. (Adele Calhoun, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, page 139) It’s about sharing and caring, loving and listening.

Safe places and safe people are few and far between these days. Truly welcoming and nurturing people can be a lost art with our phones in our faces. It takes men and woman who can put our phones down and engage with people with the welcoming heart of God. What a difference we make when we do!

There is a void @ la Madeleines today. But, take note. You can be a new face of hospitality. Parker Palmer describes hospitality as a way of “receiving each other, our struggles, our newborn ideas with openness and care.” Who doesn’t want to be a part of such a movement?

“Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” Romans 15:7

“Stay on good terms with each other, held together by love. Be ready with a meal or a bed when it’s needed. Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it!” Hebrews 13:1-2 The Message

"People will forget what you sad, forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Maya Angelou

"Do what you do so well that they want to see it again and bring their friends." Walt Disney

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.