Lessons from Zoobee's Secret Sauce Part 2: Welcome Friend!

AWarm Welcome – What the Bible Says About Friendship & Hospitality

Have you ever been the new person in a room? Maybe you started a new job, joined a new church, or moved to a new place. It can feel a little lonely at first, but one warm smile or kind invitation can make all the difference.

The Bible speaks often about the power of hospitality—welcoming others with kindness, generosity, and love. It’s not just about opening our homes; it’s about opening our hearts.

I want to share a personal story that perfectly exemplifies the power of a warm welcome when I was a new person in a new place.

In the spring of 2022, I unexpectedly became very sick. I was not sick with the flu or covid, or something like that a person can get very sick with, but within a week or so be mostly recovered.

I was sick with something that I had never heard of and didn't really understand. I spent most of my days searching the internet for answers and looking for doctors that might be able to help me. I had no doctors locally that had any idea what to do or why. I was at the lowest point of my life. I felt so sick, weak, lethargic, and when I finally did get a medication offered by a local doctor, I felt worse than ever after taking it, and honestly I did not know if I was going to live or die.

I had become extremely sensitive to almost everything. I lost a lot of weight, and I was not very heavy to begin with, so I was in a very difficult place. I could not afford to lose any more weight, and yet I could only tolerate a few foods, so gaining weight was not an easy thing at all. I was at home most of the time for months.

I could not work, run errands, go to church or really do much of anything but rest at home and continue to pray and search for answers. The only thing I knew to do was to follow through with any step that seemed to be a possible solution, with the hope that maybe it would help get me out of this downward spiral I had found myself in.

I can honestly say that I was at my lowest point in my entire life. I did sense God's help and guidance and presence in the midst of my health crisis, but the answers still were not really clear to me. There were several times where God clearly showed up for me and I knew that He was with me in the midst of this very challenging time. At my lowest point, all I could muster was a short desperate prayer, "God, please help me".

Well, you know how the Bible says in Psalm 34:18, that the Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit? I can testify that it is true, because at that moment, in response to my desperate prayer, God spoke to my heart very clearly and said, "This is not the end. I will help you."

It was at that moment that I knew things were going to be okay and that I would get better. I didn't know when or how, but I knew that that was God speaking directly to my heart, and it was obvious that somehow he was going to make a way.

And it was actually shortly after hearing that word from God, that He connected me with a doctor in New York City who was the first doctor that seemed to really understand what was happening with me. I was able to have zoom visits, and he prescribed me medication that did take some time, but after a while it really started to help.

It was also at this same time that my husband and I were about to leave a very small church where we had been for several years, to go to a new church that was much larger and a lot closer to our house, where my husband was being called to be on staff part-time.

Leading up to our first Sunday at that church, the lead pastor offered to have an in-person prayer meeting for me and my husband to pray for me to be healed. He was able to quickly arrange several members of the prayer team to be at this meeting in addition to him.

I was very thankful for this prayer meeting and I desperately needed it, but I still felt so weak and out of it. During this prayer meeting I got re-connected to a couple of acquaintances that I knew from years ago, and then I also met a new friend.

After they prayed for me, this new friend asked if she could give me a hug. I felt like a shell of a person, honestly because I had lost so much weight and was not my normal cheerful self. I didn't feel good, and I didn't seem like I probably looked very good, but yet she wanted to give me a hug.

Let me say that for not knowing someone, this new friend gave the most kind, loving, warm and welcoming hugs that I probably every received from a friend past or future (other than my husband, of course).

I felt so loved and so welcomed that day, and beyond, as we transitioned to being a part of this new church. That new friend changed my life. She made me feel so loved when I felt so vulnerable and low. She loved me like Jesus loves and it was such a gift.

Welcoming others is definitely a step of faith because it requires that you are willing to take a risk and be a loving presence in someone's life when you don't really know them. But it is such a powerful gift and I know that first hand because of the prayers of my friends and that warm, welcoming, hug that almost seemed like it may have come from Jesus Himself.

Fast forward almost 3 years now since I first became really sick, and I am doing so much better. I am on medication and supplements that I was not on before that all happened, and have doctor's appointments to help keep things from spiraling out of control, but I am able to live a pretty normal life - and all of this is because of God's great faithfulness in my life!

Now I have entered a different kind of season in my life, where God is inviting me to be the welcomer, and the loving new friend to outsiders and to young women in vulnerable places. I am armed with what it feels like to be on the receiving end of such love, kindness and welcome, and I want to do everything I can by the grace of God to be faithful in loving and welcoming others into His family like He would and does.

We are all blessed that if we let Him, He calls us to partner with Him to be a blessing to others in great need. And then when they say thank you, we can remind these new friends, that all of this welcoming and love comes from God, because He is the epitome of love.

Biblical Encouragement for Welcoming Others

💛 1 Peter 4:9 – "Be hospitable to one another without complaint." True hospitality comes from a heart of joy, not obligation. It’s not about impressing others but making them feel loved and at home.

What Does This Look Like in Everyday Life?

Welcoming others doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are a few simple ways to practice hospitality:

✨ Smile and say hello to someone new at church or in your neighborhood.

✨ Invite a new friend for coffee or a meal.

✨ Include others in your plans—small gestures mean a lot!

✨ Listen and be present. Sometimes, hospitality is just making space for someone to feel heard and valued.

Can you believe these lessons and more are all wrapped up in the beautiful, inspiring story in my new children's book, Zoobee's Secret Sauce?

When we open our hearts to new friends and neighbors, we reflect God’s love—because He first welcomed us into His family. Who can you extend hospitality to this week?

Are you looking for an inspiring read for yourself or to share with friends? Get your copy of Zoobee's Secret Sauce and the companion Forest Friends art classes on video for kids - where they will have the joy of creating the 5 main characters of Zoobee's Secret Sauce!

Reference: This blog post was written with the help of Chat GPT, an AI assistant by Open AI, and thoughtfully edited by Jennifer Kilburn to match the heart and style of Comfort & Joy Art.