The Hospitality of In-Laws

  “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. 14May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”15Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. 16The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.17The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”18“Drink, my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.19After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough to drink.”... And she added, "We have  plenty of straw and fodder, as well as room for you to spend the night."  (Genesis 24)

Thoughts: Hospitality is attractive.  Here Abraham's servant was to go to his relatives to find a wife.  His prayer was to find someone who would be thoughtful, kind, welcoming- in short- hospitable.  Rebekah was not just attractive physically, she was attractive spiritually- and it showed in a generous kindness.  Laban, Isaac's uncle, was also kind to the man and welcome him.  If in-laws are kind and generous- it fosters and environment for a good, long-lasting relationship.  
    There is all these songs ("Mother-in-law") and stories of in laws not getting along with a new partner or spouse.  But kindness, welcoming, acceptance, hospitality go a long way to breaking the caricature of being an in-law.  

Prayer: Lord, may your hospitality toward me show in how I am hospitable toward others.  Break barriers down by your love and hospitality shining through me.