A knock sounded, the door opened, and we were welcomed in out of the rain by a beautiful blonde with a baby on her hip. Boots pulled off, jackets removed, toys dumped out on the floor and we were ready. The kettle whistled, signaling that tea could be made, and while my hostess asked about sugar and milk I looked around with a smile. Creativity and Practicality had joined together in this art-form we call "home making" and they had done well.
Practicality had joined Perseverance by make this home clean. I did not worry that my wondering toddler would choke on food or small toys left on the floor because there were none. Clean is hard. Clean means being the bad guy and making small hands come back to clean up play dough under the table and books on the couch. Clean means wiping down counters and having a place for all the dishes, towels, and canned goods. Clean means finding the broom, vacuum, vinegar, rags, laundry detergent, dish soap, or whatever you use and actually using it. Clean is hard. But clean helps make a house a home.
Creativity had joined diligence and patience. I complemented my friend on her decor and she waved it away with an explanation. "It's mostly from the thrift store." She had taken hard-earned money and made it stretch while still portraying the style of her choice. While I am a thrift-store shopper I lack talent when it comes to visualizing things in my home as well as the patience to paint and fix things that aren't quite right. Besides buying things second-hand she had made several things with the help of her husband which added care and charm to the space.
Practicality had joined kindness. As the children played and ran around she said, "I don't want people to worry if their kids mess things up. I don't care." While she had worked hard to make her home lovely it was still lived in by her family and she wanted it to be lived in by other families too. Her things were beautiful, but it mattered more to her that people were comfortable than that things stayed where they were.
Creativity had joined joy. My hostess enjoys making her house a home. She likes to make it comfortable, beautiful, warm, welcoming, and happy.
God does not often use the big and extreme things of this world to bless us, but He does use homes. He uses homes with hardwood, with expensive furniture, with picnic tables, and with black appliances. He uses homes sounding Bach's symphony, children's giggles, and oxygen pumps. He uses homes with bookshelves filled with Puritan Paperbacks and homes that smell like cookies. I am thankful He uses what we think of as ordinary to bless others. And I am encouraged to continue working on my own home, that the surfaces may be clean, the atmosphere warm, and the hostess gracious to welcome one and all.
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