I grew up in a blended family. My mom was a teen mom (she had me when she was 18) and my parents never married but remained friends. My mom married my stepdad and my dad married my stepmom. We were also very poor and moved A LOT. Before I was in middle school I had lived in at least 11 different homes.
But, no matter where we lived my mom would always make our home very welcoming. We lived in a trailer, apartment, a farmhouse, and a duplex among other places. We had very little but my mom (and my stepmom at her house) always found a way to make it nice.
When I got married, that was my goal as well. I want my home to be a haven. A place of safety, refuge, security, and peace. No matter what is going on in the world, I want my home to be a place that my children will remember as loving and warm.
Proverbs 14:1 says, “The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.” After really studying this scripture and praying about it, I realized that it isn’t the things in my home that I have or don’t have that make my home a haven. It is me. That’s right. Me. God has given me the blessing of being home with my children and the home is where I should be focused.
That doesn’t mean my husband and children get a free pass and don’t have to help keep our home loving and warm. But my attitude and life need to reflect how I want my home to be. I am not perfect and I have very bad days. But, I ultimately need to be focusing on Jesus and what He has called me to do. He has called me to be the heart of my home, to be a blessing to my husband and children, and to make my home a place of rest of safety.
A house (or place to live) can be many things. As I said above, I have lived in many different places but we always made it our home. Having an attitude of gratefulness and love gives your home that “haven” feeling. It isn’t always easy. Trust me. But I have noticed a HUGE difference when my attitude is bad and when it is good. It can seem like a burden but God is with you and with me. He guides my steps each day and equips me with His Word to be more like Jesus. I couldn’t do life without that security and knowledge.
Making your home a haven doesn’t require beautiful decorations or fancy china. It doesn’t require a two-story house in the country. It doesn’t require anything at all except a heart for Jesus and a heart for your family. Make it a priority to make your home a haven in this dark world. No matter what is going on, being with family and friends in a home filled with Jesus and His presence is better than anything else. That’s what I want for my home and family. It’s a process and I am still working through it but with God’s help, it can become reality.
