Coming to Our Senses: Sight

I have been blessed to enjoy 32 years of marriage with my marvelous husband, Bob.  During those years, we have also known the joy of our three talented, uniquely gifted children (now grown and raising families of their own).  Not every day was a party, but I wouldn't trade a single one.  For all these past many years, my goal has always been to create an environment in our home that would make it a safe place of refuge from the demands and worries of the outside world.  My efforts appear to have paid off, since during their childhood and teenage years our children and their friends made our home the hub of most of their activities.  The house and yard were nearly always filled with kids, and we seldom sat down to a meal void of children from someone else's family joining us.  Sometimes my friends would say, "Don't you ever get tired of having so many other kids around?"  My answer:  "Never!  As long as my children have their friends here in our home, I know they are safe and I know what they're doing."

I would like to share some ideas with my readers as to how they might begin to make their homes a refuge from the world for themselves and their families.  To that end, my next several posts will be centered on "coming to our senses" when building a home environment.  The suggestions I give are just that... suggestions.  They may serve as models or they may simply spark your imaginations, but I trust the Lord will give you insight into the unique personality of your family and encourage you in the role of homemaker, as the very center of that family experience.

We have all been given five distinct senses by our Lord:  sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.  I believe that if we take the time to make each of those senses a pleasant experience in our home, our family and others will always desire to spend time within that immediate vicinity.  Today, I will address the sense of sight, in particular.

Many people have told me that my home is "beautiful," "well-decorated," or "inviting."  Often, they comment that I must have "spent a fortune" to decorate every room.  My friends, nothing could be further from the truth.  Nearly all of my furniture has come from re-sale stores or yard sales, and some even from the Salvation Army Thrift Store in a nearby town.  When our family was younger, we used to say our style of decorating was "early Eikmeier attic," meaning that the bulk of our furnishings and decorations had been handed down to us by my mother-in-law and father-in-law.  (Fortunately, Mom and I had pretty similar tastes in decorating.)  Sometimes I have refinished a piece of wooden furniture or recovered a simple chair using an inexpensive piece of fabric usually found in a sale bin somewhere.  In nearly every case, a good cleaning was the basis of reclaiming a used piece and preparing it for a new life with a fresh coat of paint or varnish.  Why go to all that trouble?  Simple.  When someone walks into my home their first impression will be set by what they SEE in the first five minutes.  If I can meet their sense of sight with something pleasant to view, I'm off to a great start in making them feel comfortable and at home. 

Of course, all the decorating in the world will never cover over dirt.  Just keeping my home clean and tidy has gone a long way toward making it a comfortable place in which to be.  Aside from a minimal investment in a bucket, some sponges, and a little soap, the cost of cleaning is nearly nil.  The effect, however, is invaluable.  People always appreciate being in an environment that is neatly kept and tastefully decorated.  Both industry and commercial companies understand that concept clearly and spend great sums of money hiring interior design consultants to establish  warm, welcoming surroundings for their employees and customers.  Our home should never be outdone by some clothing store showroom or doctor's waiting room.  When my husband and children (and guests, of course) enter into our home, I want them to SEE a tidy, clean, inviting place where they feel welcomed and valued.  Dirty dishes piled in the sink, unmade beds, toys strewn from one end of the house to the other, clutter piled high on every flat surface... these are the things that create a sense of unrest in the human spirit.  Our God is a God of order.  If we follow His lead, we can rest assured that "home" will be a pleasant word on the lips of those we love.

Not only our home, but our person makes a strong impression on others.  Since my husband goes to work each day and inevitably meets dozens of other women out in the world, I need to take care that when he comes home he is greeted by someone who values him enough to take the time to be well-groomed and attractive for his benefit.  I don't necessarily strive to do housework in my high heels or look like June Cleaver (string of pearls and all) every day, but when I notice the clock nearing the time of Bob's arrival home from work, I check my hair, change out of my cleaning clothes, and try to put in a pair of earrings and a quick touch of lipstick.  That all takes about 5 minutes of my time... 5 minutes well invested if it causes my husband to smile and think of me as the person who he looks forward to seeing at the end of every work day.

If we take the time and invest the necessary energy to meet the SIGHT needs of our families, coming home will be something they "look" forward to, not something they dread.  Friends and acquaintances will notice the difference and always make complimentary comments.  God has given us the gift of vision, so let's thank Him by creating an environment of beauty for our family.  I don't have the time or space in this blog to elaborate further, but I pray the Holy Spirit will begin to prime your creative pump and show you ways to make your home a special place of refuge from a harsh, uncaring world.

"Through skillful and godly Wisdom is a house (a life, a home, a family) built, and by understanding it is established [on a sound and good foundation], and by knowledge shall its chambers [of every area] be filled with all precious and pleasant riches."

(Proverbs 24:3-4, Amplified Bible)