On Sunday our lesson was on our homes. As I sit here listening to the shop vac that I have conveniently rigged up a way to suck up the slow seepage of water from the floor crack, I have to admit that I have this love hate relationship with these structures that are meant to keep us warm and safe. Too often I take this structure for granted, get tired of cleaning it and just plain wish we didn't spend so much money on it's upkeep. I don't often enough appreciate it's warmth, the ability to make good food in, the chances to sit with friends and family.
Michelle's words continue to ring in my mind to "stop comparing". So often this has paralyzed me from having people in our space because I am not a decorator or really even a tidy homemaker. The tension in our marriage has at times been because one wants something nicer than the other thinks it needs to be or the conversation about what is motivating us to do or buy something. How do we be authentic to who God is calling us to be without the outside pressures of those around us (and even the pressures from within us).
I realize the chapter is looking at many ways that people are being creative with homes - from energy usage to community living and sharing spaces, all of which are thought provoking. I look forward to next Sunday to have discussion together on things we have experimented with, things we are challenged by and what steps we are wanting to take forward. I also welcome conversation about the chapter on finances as well.
Thanks, Jan, for your post. This is one of my biggest frustrations, as well. On the one hand, I enjoy having people over. On the other, the sheer terror of having to do a HUGE cleaning (or more properly, de-cluttering) in order to do this, prevents me from inviting many more times than I'd like to admit. I'd love to get a handle of homekeeping so that I had the freedom to be more welcoming, instead of living with the fear that someone will "just stop by" and will be shocked by the disaster area that is our home. :(
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