Making a House a Home

by Ameerah 

(USA)

Keeper of the Home

"She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness (gossip, discontent, and self-pity) she will not eat" -Proverbs 31:27 (AMP)

Is there still respect for the art form known as Christian homemaking? Or is keeping one's home merely a mundane task that is more often rushed through and resented rather than treasured and honored?



I was raised by a single mother. I mention that because, like most singles mothers, my mom was often tired and run down. Working 40+ hours each week, she then came home and did all of the cooking, cleaning, and looking after me - It took everything she had. 


But, in the midst of all of that, she still made the time to take our little two bedroom town home (that wasn't in the best neighborhood) and transform it into a real home. And, somehow, doing it brought her so much joy.


But, when I first got married, I forgot the importance of making our house into a home. So, for the first few years, my apartment remained...an apartment.


When we look at the word Homemaking, what does it really mean? 

Home-Making

We are creating a home. We are turning a mere place of dwelling into a place where memories are made. We are hand crafting a place where our families can come in from the hustle and bustle of the world and feel safe. Where they can finally feel at home.


When I think back to the home I grew up in, there were plants in the living room, afghans to curl up with on the couch, and I was surrounded by family pictures on the walls and albums of old memories to gaze through. 


It was always filled with laughter and joy. There was peace and tranquility. And those were the things that made it home.


And, at the end of a bad day, I knew that if I could just get home, everything would be OK. 


But, you walk into some houses today, and the furniture is so "nice," everyone is afraid to sit on it, much less curl up and get comfortable. 

The walls are bare for fear of unsightly holes, or simply because the family pictures would clash with the room's decor. Children are yelled at for the smallest crumb on the carpet, and laughter has been replaced with blaring TVs, as everyone watches their favorite show in their own separate rooms. 


Does that sound like a home to you - Or just a mere place of dwelling? 


Why is it so important to build a home? 


I recently realized that every member of each Christian family is engaged in heavy spiritual warfare from the time they leave our home until the time they return. 


We as women should feel honored that God has trusted us with the responsibility to create a safe haven for them where they can heal their wounds and prepare for their next spiritual battle (whether it's pleasing a difficult boss or fending off peer pressure at school). 


I think, as women of God, it is time that we bring Christian homemaking back into fashion! 


Let's stop and ask ourselves - Have we truly taken the time to make our house into a home? Is every member of our family eager to get back home from the very moment they leave? Is our home filled with the peace, joy, and love of the Lord so that it can surround our loved ones and make them feel God's presence when they enter the door?


If not, it is never too late to start. We can call upon the help of our Father in Heaven and ask Him to show us how to transform our house into a home. He is the only one who truly knows what each member of our family needs. He knows how to make them feel the safety and security that comes from living in a happy home.


I think getting back to the heart of Christian homemaking is worth it - Don't you?

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