Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Home is Wherever I'm with You

So, I'm redoing my room. It is a much needed change, but it felt so odd, packing up these things that have been with me for so long. It's not like I'm getting rid of them, they'll go into storage and if I ever "need" them, they'll be readily available, but I'm not going to see them before I go to bed or greet them when I wake. My Goodnight Moon routine is going to be several items short.* Anyway, this just got me thinking on the subject of home.

It's one of those concepts that we often take for granted. So many of us have just always had a home. I'm assuming you all know that not everyone has the stereotypical "home," with the four walls and a roof, but if you weren't aware, well, yeah, lots of people don't. But that's another subject all together. 

No, what struck me about home is that feeling you get when you're at home. You know that one where you just have peace? Not that home life is always easy or peaceful. Mine certainly wasn't. But there is that distinct peace that takes you once you're "home." That feeling you can be yourself. Your true self. Not that you're not your true self everywhere, but you can be even the ugly part of your true self at home. You can lean on and get support on your bad days. Basically, I guess the best way I can describe that feeling of "being home," is when you look absolutely awful, your hair is a disaster, your face a mess, you can find nothing in your closet, and the person you have a crush on has decided to overlook the magic that would be your union, and your mom holds you while she lets you skip school, watch your favorite movie, and  eat ice cream. 

If you've never had an "Ugly Day," I only hate you a little bit. If your home life never blessed you with the same peaceful feelings mine did, I am genuinely sorry. But the thing is, "Home" doesn't have to be a solitary location. That may be contrary to what you've been taught and the basic definition of the word, but its true. You see, home isn't the things around us, just like church isn't a steeple and altar. Home is about people.

You see, I have at least two homes. One, in Minnesota, and the second, in Zacatecas, Mexico. It's really hard for me to say that the one in Mexico is my "second home." I know it's splitting hairs, but it doesn't come in second place to my home in Minnesota. They're tied. And you know why? It's not that the same people are there that are in Minnesota. It's that I have that same feeling. There's that same safety there. And it isn't because it's stereotypical "safe." It's because when I'm there, I'm where I'm supposed to be. I'm in the place that God has called me. And the truth is, that feeling doesn't have to be limited to Minnesota, Mexico, or other places that start with "M." That feeling, the security, it comes from being with God, where He's called you, where He's leading you, where His still, small voice calls you. When you're searching for that answer to where you're supposed to go, follow that voice, that peace. It might not be the "smart" choice in the natural, but it's where you'll be at home.





Thanks for reading, guys! It means a lot to me, really. And to just clear some stuff up, I don't advocate giving your feelings free reign in your life. Please. I do say that there is a peace that comes when you're doing what you're supposed to do. So yeah. Glad we cleared that up.



*I do not actually have a Goodnight Moon routine.Except that I do. Or don't. You'll never know.

1 comment:

  1. I never felt at home when I was at home growing up and that didn't really change when I left the nest. I only ever "felt at home" in the mountains or at Church. I always wondered what it was like to come home and feel like it was home. If I were to describe how I usually feel about "home" it would be more like this place I keep my stuff than a place I feel I can let my ugly parts out.

    What you said about being where you are supposed to be and being where God has called you... that is a beautiful thing. Well said.

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