"I love your house" ...

"I love your house"

This simple phrase really set my mind to thinking over the past few weeks. It was said during a 4th of July gathering at my home in the midst of the general mayhem of having a group of people in your home on rather short notice. I said thanks and made some comment about it being small and dark, and laughed. This person then went on to say "yes, but your house is filled with love and memories". Now that kind of stopped me in my tracks, made me think, and has caused me to ponder this simple compliment. How someone who had never been to my home before, and did not know me very well would say such a profound thing after only being there one evening.

As I have thought about this my mind went to the actual structure that my family and I live in, day in and day out. My house is small by most standards, only 1,248 square feet. One story, oddly laid out, due to additions made over the past 60 years. It is kind of dark as many of the overhead lights have burned out bulbs. We use mix matched lamps, the carpet is stained, the furniture is old and worn.

Some of my windows have shower curtains instead of window curtains, and blankets to try and keep the heat out and the cool in. We are cluttered and stacked with books, and stuff and partly done projects. My kitchen is tiny, dishes are almost always in the sink, laundry is often in baskets waiting to be folded or hanging on the drying rack. We fight an unending battle against German cockroaches, our cat and dog shed year round and our front bathroom houses our rather psychotic cat, whose litter box stays in the tub because the room is a bit small. 

Apparently, even in its mess, our home radiates love and memories, in its very mess and clutter and chaos, it tells the story of a family who lives, and laughs and loves, who welcomes in friends to shove over a pile of laundry and have seat on the sofa (or better yet, help me fold it!) Who wants to love on people and make them feel welcome. A family who will suspend its "schedule" (such that it is) and change the plan, who will drop everything to help a friend. Where people are more important than things, and time spent with others ranks higher than a spotless bathroom. Where development of character trumps straight A's any day of the week, and attitude trumps academics every time

And if you dig a little deeper, look past the surface, it tells the story of a regular, run of the mill average family, with successes and failures, hurts and healing, mistakes and forgiveness, whose goal is to show grace and love, and live out Jesus in front of the world, one day at a time, which maybe is not so regular and average after all. 

So, the more I thought about it, the more I realized I do indeed have the "perfect" home. Would I like it to be a little bigger? YES! Would I like the bug problem handled? YES YES! Would I prefer a bigger yard and newer appliances? YES! Do I need do a little better in the cleaning and organizing? Indeed!  However, the legacy of my family I would not change, nor trade.


So, now, when someone says "I love your house!", my response will be " Thank you! I do too!".