"A Foretaste" {Thoughts on Creating a Home}

"Wherever you are, make it your home.  Unpack.  Decorate.  Make friends.  Find a church.  Whether you are there for 6 months or 10 years, plant roots.  It is worth it."

Our friends, experienced in moving children from one place to the next, gave us this timely bit of advice two years ago. Taking it to heart, every house and apartment we've moved into since that shared meal has fully become our home.  We've unpacked, decorated, and committed to life there... regardless of how long we'd be there or if we even knew how long we'd be there. 

I'm thankful for the wisdom that was shared over that meal, and I'm thankful for each of the homes we've lived in.  They've all felt safe and welcoming, and they each have given us a collection of joyful memories that we can look back on fondly.

Maybe it's because it's Fall, or maybe I'm tired of moving around so much, or maybe it's the fact that we have our own 'nuclear' family now, but lately I've been loving the art of homemaking.  I've found that I love cooking and trying new recipes. I relish in a neat house, and find it much easier to rest when everything is in its place. (Compared to the very cluttered child, teenager, and young woman I used to be, this is by far the biggest change!) I used to be forgetful and lazy with my time, but now find that I am much more organized and even accomplish more in my days as a young mom than I did before Piper was born. 

We bought new dishes this week and I can't even tell you how excited I am to host friends and family and eat with a new set of dishware!  We've got a few deliciously scented candles, and I seriously look forward to lighting one of them every evening.  And despite the fact that we have no idea how long we'll be in our current home, last night I began painting the trim in our living room.  Soon we'll paint the walls.  Later we'll tackle the wallpaper in the kitchen and dining room.  These tasks and little dreams and and outward changes to our home are a reflection of the tasks and little dreams and inward changes we are making in our hearts and family as well. 

I don't know what the future holds for me as far as work and career and a job out side of our home is concerned, but for now, in this season, I am fulfilled in a way I haven't experienced before.

{“I believe that a godly home is a foretaste of heaven. Our homes, imperfect as they are, must be a haven from the chaos outside. They should be a reflection of our eternal home, where troubled souls find peace, weary hearts find rest, hungry bodies find refreshment, lonely pilgrims find communion, and wounded spirits find compassion.” -Jani Ortlund}