We spend much of our posts talking about how to make your relationship stronger to last through the years. This requires intentionality in pursuing intimacy with your spouse—spiritual, emotional, physical, as well as cherishing each other. This will make your marriage strong, if done well.

There is another aspect of a healthy marriage and that is looking outward together to the ways in which you can bless others. Today we want to focus on the benefit of extending hospitality.

We have always heard that the true biblical definition of hospitality is “entertaining strangers”. Think of it. Before planes or trains made traveling something done in hours, not days, travelers would often pass through a city late at night in need of a place to rest their horses and find food and a place to sleep. Many families would open their homes in hospitality to these strangers as a way to reach out and help others.

Tom and I love to practice hospitality. We have welcomed people into our homes from all over the world. Some we had never met as they were friends of friends. But by the time they left our home they felt like family.

I remember one couple coming to visit from another country who had never been to Orlando before. It was Monday, our normal date night, so rather than skip it we decided to share a double date and show them some of our sites. We ended the evening on beach chairs overlooking the water. We gave them our list of date night questions and encouraged them to spend some time together talking. They loved it and even mentioned that this was one of the most memorable and romantic times they had spent together in a long time. Our hearts were full.

That’s the thing with hospitality, you put your best efforts forward for the good of another, and end up receiving a double blessing in return.

We are going to continue this topic in posts to follow, but for now we encourage you both to reflect on the ways in which you have benefited from the hospitality of others. Why not take time to thank them again for their kindnesses to you.

Date Night Prompt – Using our date night questions (see tab at top of page), pick one or two to talk about on your next night out together. Find a romantic spot by the water or with a nice view to enjoy undistracted time. Bonus if you don’t look at your phone for the entire time.