The second rule builds on the first: Don’t be afraid to do things with flair.
An old patchwork quilt for a table cloth, huge baskets of dried fall weeds, a stylish hostess gown (no matter if it’s a hand-me-down as long as it looks good)—only one or two old dependables with class can cover a multitude of cleaning errors. Flair is a creative expression God has imprinted on our souls. Yet we Christians are wary of those dramatic touches of finesse.
God is not afraid to display His creativity. If we did one room in our home copying the glorious colors in just one of His sunsets, people would think we were outrageous. Yet He has donned His world with style and class and exquisite taste and breathtaking color combinations and scintillating humor. Humor? Well, have you ever looked at the rear end of a baboon! And, He allows this repetition of glory and delightful surprise in His human creature, as long as we don’t slip into the error of thinking it is all of ourselves.
Old wooden bowls and the variegated pile of baskets intrigue me. I use them as serving pieces. I love to provide fresh fruits in place of heavy, sweet desserts. Their appetizing colors are delightful. The yellows and oranges and purples sit juxtaposed against the grains of an antique hand-turned basin. These contrasts satisfy some unknown need in me. For flair, I add crumpled, wizened figs on a string which I buy from a Greek grocer.
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Karen Mains has long had an interest in Christian hospitality and is the author of the best-selling book, Open Heart, Open Home.
An award-winning author of several other books, Karen continues to write content for her Christian blog, “Thoughts-by-Karen-Mains.” In so doing, she desires to touch the lives of Christian women and men and help them find ways to walk closer with the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, through silent retreats, spiritual teaching, women’s retreats, Christian vacation opportunities, and other ministry activities, Karen helps each Christian woman and man receive vital spiritual food.
For decades, Karen Mains and her husband, David, have served God through religious communications—radio, television, and print publication. The are the co-authors of the Kingdom Tales Trilogy: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. To find many valuable resources for pastors and churches at the Mainstay Ministries main website, please click here.
In addition, pastors will find special resources to help them create effective, life-transforming Sunday sermons by visiting David Mains’ website by clicking here.
Through her Hungry Souls ministry, Karen serves as a spiritual coach to many Christian women and men, and teaches a mentor-writing class. And, through the Global Bag Project, she is working to develop a network of African women who sew exquisite cloth reusable shopping bags. This microfinance women opportunity helps provide a much-needed sustainable income for struggling African families. For more information on this critically important project, please click here.
