Home as a sanctuary

I've written about this before but the thought of "home as sanctuary" came back to me yesterday evening when I was waiting for the guys to arrive home amidst a freezing drizzle.

The call came about an hour before hubby had to pick up Christopher from work... my insulin was available.

He left early to drive to the clinic and then back to campus to pick Christopher up from work at the bookstore. I stayed home and prayed for their safety. :)

By the time they arrived home, the lights on the porch had been turned on and the ancient Le Creuset' dutch oven was simmering on the stove... their favorite Midwestern Boiled Dinner. I wanted the sights and aromas to say "come in out of the storm".

Well, it was not really a storm but driving conditions were not so good and country roads in the dark can be "iffy" at best.

I have long thought of the home as sanctuary. When I was growing up, after my father died, I had no sanctuary. Once I married, a couple of weeks after turning twenty, providing a real home was of utmost importance. Even though we moved quite often to follow my husband's career and there was no permanent dwelling, the objects... sights... sounds... aromas... were consistently "home".

I have noticed my husband spending more time this past year in our living room where he likes to read on the sofa. I'm not surprised. Even though the Early American-English Country look may not be his favorite, the colors are all earth tone and soothing. It is a small room filled with books... very cozy. He can relax in this environment.

There is a storm brewing in the world today, it is already affecting many people. For others, they can see the storm clouds in the distance and feel the wind picking up as they stand... looking toward the horizon and waiting. Where I live in the Midwest, there is a phrase used during parts of the year... "it feels like tornado weather". One can sense the approaching storm, long before the sky turns green and the fierce winds arrive.

I have already spent the past couple of days organizing and decluttering... yet again. But last night, as I was thinking of storms and sanctuary, I decided to work at making my home a complete sanctuary for the three of us and one elderly kitty (and anyone else entering our home).

Of course, I will continue decluttering as my husband and I tackle the garage today. If no one hears from us by nightfall... send out the St. Bernard carrying a flask of hot coffee with cream & Splenda.

I also plan to write out more ways I can make our home a sanctuary... deepening the pantry when possible, fixing things that are broken and other needed household maintenance, organizing my recipes... in particular those that are inexpensive, planning special days of celebration for no particular reason... and most of all... letting the peace of God permeate me and the house.

It all gets down to what He whispered in my ear when we were living in Detroit... Live Life On Purpose. Think... ponder... write down... don't let life just pass you by because it goes so quickly. So, my goals this year all fall under the label of "Sanctuary". Just how to accomplish this will be the subject of much pondering.

Added: I thought I should add that I can never expect perfect sanctuary in my home. I live with a teenager who can become quite cranky and moody, a husband who is on Disability for Bipolar symptoms (brought about by severe environmental allergies throughout his life), a cat who seems to cough up more hair balls as she grows older... and I have to live with myself. Sigh... only in Heaven will we find perfection.

Picture: Nostalgia-Mini by Clement Micarelli; allposters.com