“An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far
above jewels … She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat
the bread of idleness.” Proverbs 31:10, 27
My mother used to chide me for being more of a decorator
than a cleaner. “You’d rather put flowers on the table than wipe it
off!” she would say. And I would think, “Who wouldn’t?!” She was
right, of course. I love beautiful things, and I love to find ways to turn
non-beautiful areas into places I enjoy spending time. Over the years I’ve
found that with some elbow grease, a can of paint, some flowers and a bit of
vision, everything from a broken-down dresser to a house that’s seen better
days can be transformed.
When my first son was on his way, my husband and I had
little-to-no money. I’d been praying that the Lord would help us furnish his
little nursery. We’d found an inexpensive crib and bought it (that was back
before I realized how little we were going to use it, of course!) and dear
friends and family had showered us with everything from clothes to bedding.
However, we still needed a place to *put* all the tiny diapers and the onesies
I was folding. One afternoon we were dropping off a friend at his apartment. As
we drove out past their huge dumpsters, we noticed an old dresser, just the
right size, sitting next to the garbage. Into the truck it went, and within a
few days I’d turned it into the perfect changing table/dresser combo.
Not everyone likes DIY projects, of course. But each one of
us is called to make our house a place where each person who lives there can
experience the love and grace God intended.
As Sally says here in Chapter Nine …
“Home–it’s such a beautiful word! It’s the center of our lives,
the place that holds us with invisible strings of love within its walls. Home
is the place where the delectable smells and tastes of “my favorite
food” linger; where the comfort and beauty of “my room” and
“my bed” can be enjoyed; where “my dreams” are inspired and
begin to grow; where bedtime routines, prayers, and blessings give comfort;
where the intimacy of deep relationships–unconditional love, grace,
forgiveness, encouragement, unselfishness, laugher, and memories–is shared
with people who have made us a priority in their lives. It’s where appetites
for favorite music, movies, books, games, art, and traditions are shaped from
infancy on up.
Home is
a haven from a world that is swimming with challenges and difficulty. It is a
school where one learns how precious life is intended to be. It provides the
context of learning to know and love my Creator, the beauty of the world He
made, and His Word, which guides me. And it is the environment where direction
and purpose and values are passed from generation to generation, protecting and
preserving all that is precious in life.
The task of
building our homes into places of beauty and life that will feed the hearts,
souls, and minds of our children is the most comprehensive task to which God
has called us as mothers. We are called quite literally to be “home
makers”–to plan and shape a home environment that provides our families
with both a safe resting place and a launching pad for everything they do in
the world.”
Okay, in advance of this video, please prepare: Do not be
jealous of Sally when you hear the secret of how she never loses any of Clay’s
socks. I’m just sayin.’
Something to Read:
Prov. 6:6-8 “Go to the ant, O sluggard,
Observe her ways and be wise,
Which, having no chief officer or ruler, prepares her food
in the summer,
And gathers her provision in the harvest..”
What does this passage teach us about how we should manage
our lives? What home-making task tends to overwhelm you the most?
Something to Try:
Make a list of the stressors in your home that most disturb
you and pull at your spirit. A chronically full sink? The daily grind of
getting dinner on the table? Socks in the living room? Pick one item from your
list and brainstorm with your family ways to alleviate that pressure (paper
plates during the day, periodic snack meals instead of full-fledged dinners, a
special sock hamper for the living room?)
To discuss here in the comments:
What’s your favorite way to make your home beautiful?
About Misty Krasawski