Home

"Home is the nicest word there is." - Laura Ingalls Wilder

Seems to me that in this fallen world Satan tries to contaminate every good and perfect gift God has ever given us. Right now I'm kind of feeling like he's trying to assault me on my home turf. How are you doing? Are you starting to experience a little stress over being confined to your house? Yeah. Me too. The strange thing is, I love this place. I love being here. Normally this would be my "go-to" destination for peace, rest, and comfort, but lately that old Deceiver is trying to make me discontent in being here.

Never before have I had such an urge to get out and away somewhere... ANYWHERE! Under the circumstances, I think it's quite natural to feel that way, but I am still a bit ashamed to let that notion overwhelm me. Home is a blessing, especially these days. If I have to spend a great deal of time in one place, what better place could it be than home?! Here I have the comfort of my own bed in which to enjoy the sweetest sleep. I have hot water at my disposal for bathing. I have a pantry of staples from which to pull to nourish my body. I have tea to sip, books to read, checkers to play. I have the telephone and computer to keep me connected to family. I have birds singing outside my window, and a backyard chicken to entertain me and provide a few coveted eggs here and there. I am blessed.

God has provided this home, this refuge for me. He has heaped blessing upon blessing in the abundance of what I have... and I'm ashamed to say, what I have also taken for granted. I have a washing machine that works and two forms of dryers... my electric machine and my clothesline out back. I have a gas stove that but for my culinary novice would provide the most amazing fare. I have a deep, double-bowl, cast-iron sink (thank you, Mark and Laura) that is perfect for plunging hands into warm, soapy water while washing dishes and for immersing the mind in thought. I am blessed.

It is here in this place that I delight in the speckled sunlight that filters through lace draped windows. Here I enjoy conversation that takes place between two "mom" and "pop" wing chairs that are reminiscent of the Disney Pixar home of Carl and Ellie from the movie "UP." Home is where I can linger over the best cup of coffee. It is where I can sit on my front patio and watch the world go by. Home is where I can sleep on crisp, sun-dried sheets fresh off the line and wrap myself in cabana-striped Turkish towels when I step out of the shower. I am blessed.

Home is the best of places for me. I have roses blooming out front and fragrant pink jasmine out back. I have floors that gleam when I mop them and mirrors that sparkle when they're shined. I have music at my fingertips, both music to make and music to listen to. I have pretty dishes on which to eat and candlelight to eat by. I have a refrigerator to keep my food cold and ice to keep my sweet tea and lemon water even colder. I have quilts to keep me warm and ceiling fans and air conditioning to keep me cool. I have a closet full of clothes and a bathroom cabinet stocked with soaps and essentials. I am blessed.

Home is where I can sit on my deck and gaze up at the stars on any clear night. Home is where I can get out in my yard and putter and dig and plant and prune to my heart's content. Home is where I can open my bedroom window at night and listen intently for the sound of the hoot owl that roosts occasionally in nearby trees. Home is where I can enjoy "fire in a bucket" (the Pulliam version of a fire pit) and partake in a cold beer or a glass of wine. Home is where three picnic tables line up in the backyard awaiting the next Pulliam party. I am blessed.

Home is where I can set up a family altar, where I can display crosses on my walls, where I can read His comforting Word, where I can worship. God in His infinite mercy and grace has provided a safe place for me... a refuge in this storm. He has blessed me with home. He has showered me with so many blessings that I often lose count. I forget to take stock. During these troubled times it's easy to focus on the foreboding, to be held captive by the fear, but I have not been sentenced to drudgery. I have not been placed in prison. I have been gifted a protective harbor in which to moor and a Captain who has promised to stay with me until the storm passes.

I want to lift my voice in praise to the One who loves me more than anyone else ever could. I want to live these days in thanks for all I've been given. I want to think about just how devastating all of this could be should God withhold His hand of blessing and protection, and shout with joy over His sheltering. I want to prepare and consume my oatmeal with a smile on my lips and a song in my heart. I want to look forward to Palm Sunday and Holy Week as an opportunity to get my spirit right with the Lord. I want to set up my "home church" with enthusiasm as I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to worship "collectively" with other believers. I want to act blessed... because I am blessed.

Satan desires nothing more than to steal my joy and to sow seeds of doubt in my mind. Will God take care of you? Will there be enough food... money to sustain you? Will jobs be lost? Will you get sick? If you do get sick, will you recover? What will the world look like when this is all over?That's how the Deceiver likes to play his game. He front loads our thoughts, our waking moments, and our sleepless nights with questions about God's provision. Don't let him.

Before you entertain his words, look to God's. Satan was a liar from the start. His deception got us into this mess in the beginning. He wants us to believe that we're ll alone in this, that God either doesn't know or doesn't care. Neither of those could be farther from the truth. We have a God who cared so much about us that he came into this mess of a world, took on human flesh, lived the perfect life we never could, and was brutally tortured and callously executed in the most heinous of ways for me and for you... because He loved us. Please don't ever doubt how much God cares for you.

God is near. He is near to all who call upon His name. We know this. We've witnessed this first-hand. Now, we have a beautiful opportunity to be salt and light to a hurting world... even in our own homes... especially in our own homes, for that is where salt and light are most abundant. May you be reminded of your blessings this week. May you enjoy your safe place, your home, to the fullest. May God continue to keep you well. May we remain thankful and never forget the greatest blessings of all, forgiveness, life, and salvation, that were secured for us two thousand years ago on a cross at Calvary. This is love. In Him we ARE home, and it is the BEST place to be.