Louise has done it. She has made the house a home. We have had a “homeless” feeling since packing up last November. Now, though, at the end of April (five and a half short months later) it is looking like home.
Louise, of course, gets all the credit. It helps when you marry an artist with a practical side and a real gift for interior design and space management. She can turn a dump into a palace on a non-existing budget. She threw some light colored chocolate’ish paint on the walls, forced me to arrange furniture with her, and shazam! We have a house that has become a home.
Today, I even got to set up my carpentry tools in the back room. What a comforting feeling to arrange all my hand tools on the wall. Tonight I came in from working on the shop and she was in the kitchen cooking spaghetti, candles were giving a soft glow to the living room and dining room, the boys were doing a four-player game of battlefront II on the x-box and I stopped dead in my tracks. It was so homey. It was so comforting and normal feeling. We were settling in.
Dangerous, though, I know. Settling so often means complacency is right around the corner.
Isn’t that what so often happens? The crisis passes, the comfort and peace arrives, the daring rescue by God’s hand becomes a ‘remember when’, and we drift off and begin to fall, again.
Well, I can promise to try not to. I can promise to seek Him in my comfortable and homey setting. I can hope for it to be a refuge and place of refreshing and recharging in between ministering. But, I will sure have to purpose to do so.
As for now, I am just so thankful to have a house that God has allowed us to enjoy as a home, for now.
Thank you for all your prayers for us. Please continue to pray that even with all the “settling in”, we somehow are able to reject complacency and stay connected to Jesus.
Blessings
April 25, 2009
May 1, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I am convinced that the “God of all comfort” takes pleasure in your precious home. A luxury lifeboat as you float in the perilous battlefield that Rwanda is. Of course the luxury doesn’t come from fancy couches and chandeliers, but from the peaceful home you guys have nurtured and the blessing of taking joy in simple things.
Wish I could be there!
May 1, 2009 at 2:23 pm
btw, I know you don’t have fancy couches and chandeliers…(in case someone is reading this who wouldn’t know that)