Remember when I said God makes His messages to be so loud and clear I cannot avoid them? I meant it. He apparently would really like me to learn to slow down a bit. And He seems to have quite a sense of humor when it comes to teaching me lessons.
Tuesday morning after my 'late and out of gas' experience, I dropped the children off and headed on to my next appointment. On the way, I received a phone call from Sweeney, our area Young Life director, reminding me about the 3 visiting Young Life interns I had agreed to host in our home THAT NIGHT. I had totally forgotten.
It was no big deal, our housekeeper had been here the day before and I had thankfully washed the children's sheets that day. I would put two of the young men in the boys room and the third in our downstairs guest room that stays ready to receive. My children would love a visit from 'big, silly guys' and the excuse to all camp in sleeping bags in K's room.
That afternoon I did a quick toilet paper check and stocked the rooms with towels. No big deal.
The guys arrived around 10 pm Tuesday night, so we greeted them, set them up to watch the end of the Braves game in our TV room and excused ourselves to bed. The next morning we saw them for just a couple of minutes before dashing out the door to school.
I changed the boys' sheets yesterday, but didn't get around to the guest room until today. I removed the pillows, pulled back the coverlet and was surprised to find no sheets on the bed. I hadn't noticed any in the laundry room. Had he gone ahead and started them in the wash? What a great guy, I thought. How many single 22 year old males would think to do something like that?
As I went up to the laundry room I answered my own question. NONE. He hadn't done that. There had not been any sheets on the bed. None. Zilch. Nada. My precious visiting youth ministry intern had slept on a bare mattress with only a coverlet...and never said a word.
Apparently the last time we had company I stripped and washed the sheets, but never put them back on the bed. They were clean and folded in the top drawer of the dresser in that room. For whatever reason I had just never put them back on the bed. I didn't bother to double check because I faithfully strip sheets after a visit. Looking at the bed, I could tell by the pillow placement I had made it. Everything was in place as it should have been.
Say what you will, I am pretty sure even a single 22 year old male realized that a bed should have sheets. Can you imagine what he was thinking? I have giggled as I imagined him asking the guys the next day as they were pulling out of my driveway, "So, did you guys have sheets?" Ugh!
One of my insecurities is feeling like I am not very comfortable at hosting people in my home. I want to be a gracious Southern lady, but I feel like there are all sorts of rules I should know but don't. I am learning and slowly becoming more comfortable with hospitality.
And one thing is for sure, I will NEVER forget to check the bed for sheets again!
11 comments:
Bless your heart - don't beat yourself up - most guys are used to sleeping in much worse conditions, I'm sure! It did make me laugh out loud though - Thanks for that!
Oh no! Thanks for the laugh! I can only imagine what he was saying and I feel bad that he didn't say anything about it! He probably didn't want to make you feel bad!
LOL! Well I suppose one of those rules IS that a bed should have sheets! ;o)
Don't feel bad....you're much more gracious than I am. I'm always worried about people getting my house dirty or not washing their hands after using the bathroom, or not removing their shoes, OR removing their shoes only to discover their socks or bare feet are filthy.... In fact, when staying at a dude ranch this summer, my friend did not allow her daughter to come to our cabin for fear her daughter would get it dirty. Yet....it wasn't MY cabin....I was only there for a week...I didn't really care what happened to it, you know? But such is my reputation that she feared letting her visit temporary digs that didn't belong to me.
So you see, you are MUCH more hospitable than me.
that's awesome! thanks for sharing so we could all get a laugh. i'm sure you are an amazing hostess!!!
And I'll tell you of the time that we stayed at my sister's house and at 3 AM, he overflowed the toilet in the basement. My sister was overly pregnant and I felt horrible to wake them, but I couldn't continue to allow the basement to flood. The problem? Her husband installed whatever pump thing to force the matter to the street, but forgot to drill a tiny hole into the pipe. My husband felt horrible for the flood, but it was my sister who felt awful because of a small detail left.
Don't worry about it. I would have looked in the drawers for extra linens, but in that situation, I don't know if I would have said anything either.
This same thing happened to me recently with two 15-year-old girls who decided to sleep in our guest bed, while spending the night with our daughter. The next morning I realized they had crawled into a bed with no sheets. I was so embarrassed I called their mothers to "confess" and apologize.
Somehow, I'm thinking with all the love and laughter in your home the lack of sheets was barely noticed.
Hey don't worry for just forgetting to put bed sheets, that won't make you less hospitable cause I am sure there have been worse cases than this one. As it is, we learn from our mistakes so its a good thing.
oh it sounds like the story of my life......nice to be in good company :) hope you are well!
A good friend of mine told me that before I became a parent, I would need to learn to laugh at myself more. It's been good advice for those tantrum-in-the-grocery-store moments, or the vomit-right-on-the-counter-at-Burger King moments (sad but true!).
I think it's also good advice for those of us with hostess anxiety (me too!). Thanks for sharing your true life with us. :o)
Hugs,
Nancy
Maybe we should get Sue and Em a chance to teach us some of their wonderful hospitality and household Martha's while we are all in Destin together? I don't know what you are worried about though. You are just like them...very good at keeping a together household and very good at hospitality situations from my perspective. Why are you guys friends with me???
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