Our Homes, God's Gifts

It takes more than practical housekeeping skills to make a house into a home.

My mom did a good job teaching me cooking, cleaning and laundry skills, which I have always enjoyed doing. I am actually pretty good at getting a nice meal on the table, keeping the floors vacuumed, mopped and shiny, and separating the darks from the whites while keeping the drawers filled with clean socks and jammies. Those practical aptitudes are all very necessary for keeping a house, but it takes a lot more to create a home.

I love these verses from Proverbs 24:3-4 “By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; And by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.”

I didn’t start out my home building journey with a great deal of wisdom or understanding or knowledge. I just had a vision, a dream, of a home filled with love, kindness, comfort, harmony, and especially, peace; a place where my family and my friends desired to be because of the atmosphere of caring and acceptance. I have discovered that realizing that dream requires those characteristics to first reside in me.

Life can be challenging, sometimes even on the best days. Making wise choices about how to respond to those challenges is part of the building process that makes our house feel like home. Am I grouchy and using harsh words because I am frustrated? Am I complaining about others in my family not living up to my standards of neatness? Am I willing to be humble and ask forgiveness for my wrong behavior? I have been guilty of irritably arguing with my children or husband, then immediately putting on my “I’m really a nice person” face when my friend knocks on the door. Oftentimes wisdom comes slowly. When we decide to give up getting our own way to press in to God and His ways, wonderful things happen in us! And consequently in our home!

Our last home was a true “fixer upper” kind of place. Oh my, I did not like that chapter of life. We had little money and had to do most of the work ourselves. My husband was self-employed and had little time. The enemies of despair and discouragement threatened me daily. The truth is, when my husband and I walked into that house for the first time, we both knew it was to be our home. God had not left us, He had blessed us! Not only did my children grow up in that house, so did I. My struggles to overcome annoyance and impatience helped to grow faith deep in my soul. Understanding includes acceptance and appreciation. From that, peace is cultivated. Many times the understanding comes after the battle. Our house had humble beginnings, but it became the home I had dreamed about.

Twenty-six years later it was the gift that God used to launch us into retirement

and being able to settle in another state near our grandchildren.

Wherever you live, our homes are gifts from God’s hand. I have learned that

whatever fills up the rooms of our hearts will eventually spill out into our

homes. I hope you are filling up today with all the marvelous wonders God

has for you. He delights to give to us in abundance.

I love our current home with all its bonuses and blemishes. The rooms are

filled with precious and pleasant riches. Yes, there are the meaningful

furnishings, pictures and inherited treasures. Yet, even more significant are

the grandchildren sleepovers, noisy family dinners, visiting friends, laughter

and singing, birthday celebrations, Bible studies, and best of all, love,

kindness, comfort, harmony, and especially, peace.

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