Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbor’s house, lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee. (Proverbs 25:17)

A man and his wife once met a young couple about their own age during a get-acquainted meeting after church. The next Sunday when they spotted the newcomers again, they invited them to their home for coffee after the Sunday evening service. The newcomers happily accepted their invitation.

Both the conversation and the coffee and treats were warm and cozy, but the evening began to grow long. Still, the young couple-perhaps overly eager to make friends-talked on and on about their move to the city, the learning curve they were experiencing in their new jobs, the difficulty they had settling their children into new schools, their long search for a church home, the trials of finding a dentist, doctor, shoe repairman, and dry cleaning establishment.

No matter how many times the host and hostess yawned or failed to reply, the couple had more to say. Finally, even the visiting couple began to yawn. Still, they made no motion toward leaving.

At long last, the host stood to his feet and with a wide stretch of his arms, he looked at his wife and said, “Well, darlin’, let’s go to bed so these nice folks can go home.”

Your chances of being invited for a return visit are better when you don’t wear out your welcome.

God of Love, make me sensitive to others so that I might not become over-bearing. Let us build our friendships and love on respect for each other and each other’s time.