Giving and Receiving gifts

While here in Thailand people have been so kind and generous. We recently visited the AKHA Hill Tribe Village of Paka Samatkri. We were welcomed into Pastor Joesep’s home with welcome arms. The house is attached to the church and there are also two interns, both in their first year of bible college, that work with the youth at the church and live in a room at the back of the house. The interns also prepare the meals and clean up. They have been so hospitable and a joy to be around. Pastor Joesep gave his bed to Tim to sleep in and Pastor Arthur, Pastor Joesep, and Pastor Morpokoo who are all with us here too are sleeping on the floor in the living space of the house. In the back room the 2 young intern girls were sleeping in one small bed. They also gave up their bed and offered it to me while they sleep on the floor in the room. They are so giving and are doing everything they can to make us feel welcome and comfortable. I often struggle with being served the way we are by them, and others. I feel so blessed to have all I have and want to serve them, and feel like I should not be served by them. Then I need to be reminded that just as I feel joy when serving others, so do others feel joy in serving me. To not allow them to serve me would be selfish and depriving them of the joy they have in serving. Also it would be an insult to them. They are offering me what they have to give and for me not to accept it would be rude and hurtful. It is important to both serve and let others serve you. How do you serve others? How do others serve you? Can you both give and receive gifts of service with others? Blessings, Cindie