dwelling place
As I was cleaning up from dinner tonight, the words "dwelling place" crossed my mind. "Hmm," I thought. "I know God is our dwelling place. But what does that really mean? How does that affect me?" You see, lately, all that's been talked about in our family has been our next "dwelling place"...aka Nassau, Bahamas. And even more specifically, the exact house we will call a home when we move there. Oh, the fun that we've had looking online at the options! At least it was fun at first. Then we got our hearts fairly set on a home, made the agreement verbally and POOF! It was leased out from under us. Easy come, easy go.
This Tuesday our senior pastor in Nassau will be making the deposit and signing the lease for us on another home. This second house appears to be even better than the first. That would be the kindness of God. But here's the rub: as much as I love nesting and dreaming of what I can do with my home, it will always be a transient space. Not only transient because we have no idea how long the Lord will have us living in the Bahamas, but transient because our home is not a place....it's a person. Hmm. A person. And not just any person, but the eternal God who was there before the mountains were brought forth or the earth was formed by him. He is from everlasting to everlasting. (Psalm 90)
Craving a home is human nature, perhaps, because we ultimately have a void in us only God can fill. And if he is our dwelling place, essentially we crave Him. His permanence, his comfort, his shelter, his care for our every need, his acceptance, his father-love for us. All things we may think of when we think of "home." It is both freeing and challenging to realize that all the things I crave in a home or home-life can only be met in God. Freeing because I realize there is value in creating a warm, inviting shelter for my family, friends, and yet-to-be friends. The gospel offers a haven. I want my home to be gospel-centered haven. But on the other hand it is challenging to realize my true dwelling place is in God because nothing I ever create or nurture on the earth will be complete...it is a shadow. I will not find my fulfillment in it.
This is so good for me right now. Perhaps for you too. There are many reasons why we need to have our fingers pried off of our home-desires. I'm pondering mine now. But I am provoked to explore how God has been, is, and will always be my dwelling place. And in light of that, how I can use our home to proclaim to others the good news that God can be their dwelling place too? This is an area God gives to us as women, mothers, hostesses, to almost exclusively spotlight for people. The home may be God's greatest tool for evangelism. And I am the keeper of that home. What a thought! What a hope! I'm going to pray, starting tonight, that God will let our new home be a place where gospel light is seen and offered. I am inspired!
This Tuesday our senior pastor in Nassau will be making the deposit and signing the lease for us on another home. This second house appears to be even better than the first. That would be the kindness of God. But here's the rub: as much as I love nesting and dreaming of what I can do with my home, it will always be a transient space. Not only transient because we have no idea how long the Lord will have us living in the Bahamas, but transient because our home is not a place....it's a person. Hmm. A person. And not just any person, but the eternal God who was there before the mountains were brought forth or the earth was formed by him. He is from everlasting to everlasting. (Psalm 90)
Craving a home is human nature, perhaps, because we ultimately have a void in us only God can fill. And if he is our dwelling place, essentially we crave Him. His permanence, his comfort, his shelter, his care for our every need, his acceptance, his father-love for us. All things we may think of when we think of "home." It is both freeing and challenging to realize that all the things I crave in a home or home-life can only be met in God. Freeing because I realize there is value in creating a warm, inviting shelter for my family, friends, and yet-to-be friends. The gospel offers a haven. I want my home to be gospel-centered haven. But on the other hand it is challenging to realize my true dwelling place is in God because nothing I ever create or nurture on the earth will be complete...it is a shadow. I will not find my fulfillment in it.
This is so good for me right now. Perhaps for you too. There are many reasons why we need to have our fingers pried off of our home-desires. I'm pondering mine now. But I am provoked to explore how God has been, is, and will always be my dwelling place. And in light of that, how I can use our home to proclaim to others the good news that God can be their dwelling place too? This is an area God gives to us as women, mothers, hostesses, to almost exclusively spotlight for people. The home may be God's greatest tool for evangelism. And I am the keeper of that home. What a thought! What a hope! I'm going to pray, starting tonight, that God will let our new home be a place where gospel light is seen and offered. I am inspired!
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