Our house is your house. Our car is your car.

WHERE I AM: In Sacramento. I'm watching political television coverage on this eve of the election.
WHAT I DID TODAY: Went to San Francisco and explored Fisherman's Wharf, which was vibrant and entertaining. Got stuck in rush hour traffic on my way back to Sacramento -- five lanes, jam packed, pouring rain, two hours to go 30 miles, fun. My hosts, Brian and Breanna, lent me their car! How sweet is that?
WHAT I'M DRINKING: Naked brand antioxidant super juice. I think I'm getting a cold...bummer.
WHERE I'M GOING TOMORROW: I board the Amtrak California Zephyr train at 11 a.m., headed for Denver. This is it. My journey is nearly done. Or is it just beginning?

Hospitality comes in many forms. There's the "Come in, here's a key, I gotta go" brand. The "Let's eat dinner and get to know each other" brand. The "Here's a whirlwind tour of my city and all the maps you'll need to explore tomorrow" brand. The "I'll take you anywhere you want to go" brand. The "There's the kitchen, help yourself, and I really mean it" brand. And many more.
Then there's the "Brian and Breanna" brand.
Brian and Breanna were my hosts in Sacramento. I sent the pastor of the CMA church in Sacramento an email asking if he'd help me find someone with whom to stay. He sent my email out to the church. Brian and Breanna were the first to respond.
They aren't your "typical" hosts. Maybe that's what made their hospitality so rich.
Brian and Breanna are in their 30s, have five kids (including a 2-month old baby girl), are busy and have a big house but not an extra bedroom. I was, honestly, a bit nervous.
I had no reason to be.
Brian picked me up from the station, not at all flustered by my train being nearly three hours late. Once at their house, Breanna made waffles...even though she'd never made them before in her life. And she remembered that I like coffee and brewed plenty extra.
I had an air mattress bed in the office, complete with Bob the Builder comforter. And I had five kids who didn't know me but thought I was the greatest.
When I asked about public transportation into Old City Sacramento, they offered one of their cars instead. And if that wasn't enough, Brian gave me ten dollars for gas and ran out to buy new windshield wipers so I would be safe in the rain.
The next day, they lent me the car to go to San Francisco.
Wow. That's hospitality.
The house wasn't especially clean, but the kids had worked hard to get it as clean as they could. It wasn't especially quiet, but it was comfortable. It was warm and welcoming and unassuming.
Brian and Breanna showed me a true example of hospitality by opening their doors cheerfully and going out of their way to serve me because that's what Christ's followers are supposed to do.
Many thanks to Brian and Breanna and all my other hosts. I am so grateful and hope I will always open my doors in the same way these doors have been opened to me.