"With yellow wallpaper, geraniums and muslin curtains in the windows..." (Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment)I admit it. I romanticize about my future home, and about what I want it to be like. It's such a girly thing of me to do, but I suppose I can't fight all instincts.
*I want my home to be one of grace. I want it to be so obvious and tangible whenever someone walks in the door.
*There will often be a few dirty dishes in my sink because someone will always be eating, and because sometimes there are things that are more important than washing the last few dirty plates.
*Books will be scattered everywhere. Piled everywhere. On shelves everywhere. I plan on living books.
*There will be about five pairs of shoes by the front door on any given day. That's just life.
*My home will be full of photographs.
*I want to have huge windows so that I never have to turn on any lights until it gets dark outside. I want my home to be full of light.
*Some afternoons, there will be fresh bread cooling on a rack by the oven.
*There will always be laundry somewhere sitting in a basket. I don't like folding laundry.
*I want my home to be full of kids, and noise, and Playmobil, and crayons, and bibs, and Cheerios.
*I would like to have a big front porch with a porch swing and two rocking chairs.
*There will be lots of Scripture memory and verses on post-it notes and index cards all over the place.
*In the summer, the kitchen will have a radio next to the open window for listening to baseball games.
I know that most of these desires are so idyllic and that home life is a challenge. I'm sure that most days will be closer to chaos than this perfect picture I have in my mind, but when I serve a God who's unchanging and who fulfills all of His promises, there's no end to His grace. Even in the craziness of a home. But most of all:
*I pray that someday my home would be one that preaches the gospel. I hope it will be full of people who speak the gospel, live the gospel, and reflect the Savior, all to the glory of God.
9 comments:
This was a very cool post. It brought back memories of childhood summers, when I would fall asleep to the sound of baseball nightly.
See you in a few week.
I like this. Your dreams mirror my own, and since most of them require the presence of children, they're still just dreams for me too.
But there ARE already baskets of laundry sitting around, Scripture taped up on index cards, and loaves of bread cooling on the counter. Oh, and a wonderful husband who comes home to me every night. So I'm doing just fine. :)
Hmmm. Sounds a little familiar. I'm glad that you enjoyed the atmosphere of your family's home, Shannon, even if we did trip over the laundry baskets, and the shoes, and the playmobil, and the books. Oh my, they were everywhere! I suppose I can look forward to that again this summer! Just fix the static on the radio, OK?
Mom
Please, I want to come to your home. :) Maybe minus the noisy kids.
Everything you said . . . yes, yes, yes. Especially the bibs and cheerios and people all the time.
*Sigh* There truly is no place like a home.
My dear Shan,
I will dream and idyllicize (is that a word?) and romanticize with you! I could see your dream home right with you! I want to come to your house, bypass the sink, and go take crazy pictures in the back yard.
Oh, and you forgot the candy jar, didn't you?
love, ea
This is so sweet, Shannon. I love your vision of the home. By the way, if your kitchen looks like that pic some day, I will be soooo jealous. I love the colors.
What a great reminder to read this and see the scattered and stepped on cheerios (and peas) and toys through different eyes. It is so easy to spend my days trying to pick them up and tidy and 'conquer' the mess of our home. But when I pause, I can see that I wouldn't have things any other way. I appreciate you. :)
I just read this Shannon, and it is inspiring. You capture beautiful pictures in both photography and words.
Thank you.
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