There's No Place Like Home

     "There's no place like home.  There's no place like home."  I'm pretty sure most of us are familiar with Dorothy's assessment of home in the Wizard of Oz movie.  That sentiment holds true for each of us, but sometimes from opposite viewpoints on the spectrum.  To some, home is that safe place of refuge from the world where they can find love and acceptance and a clear sense of belonging.  To others, home is the place to be avoided at all cost.  It is a place of hurt feelings, anger and violence, and fearfulness.  How sad it is to think that "home" should ever carry such a negative message to our hearts.

     Protecting the sanctity of our home is a full-time job in this world.  Satan's attacks come from every side and through numerous avenues.  Daily, we are barraged with horrifying stories from the news networks on our televisions.  We may live in a place where we are subjected to the shouting and hatefulness of neighbors nearby.  The newspaper touts headlines of wars across the globe, domestic abuse in our communities, and untimely deaths resulting from impaired driving on the highways.  In short, Satan wants to keep us ever mindful of the state of this fallen world and distract our attention from the power we have in Christ Jesus to triumph over such tragedies.  It is not his desire to see us enter our homes with an attitude of peacefulness, joy, love, and encouragement.

     Down through the years, my husband and I have ferociously protected the peaceful sanctity of our home. Years ago we determined that "home" would be a word that meant "safe,"  "quiet,"  "acceptance,"  and "love" to our family and anyone who entered into it.  On occasion, it has been necessary to defend that mindset vigorously and in the face of people who would try to undermine it.  I distinctly remember one event wherein my husband informed a disruptive couple in our home that they were being given a choice:  "You may either choose to walk out that door under your own power, the way you came in... or you may choose to have me put you out that door under my power.  I can promise you, one way or the other, you are leaving this home!" It was not a pleasant task for him and was certainly unsettling to the rest of us, but it was necessary at that moment.

     We have often opened our home to others who needed a place to stay, as well.  We are always blessed to be able to offer our guest room and bath to individuals in need of them.  However, we have often cautioned those people that we will not allow any behavior (from them or those with whom they associate) to enter into our home that will disrupt the peacefulness that we hold so dear.  Unfortunately, that message sometimes isn't taken to heart, and we have in the past had to require that people pack up and leave our home after causing unrest and division.  It always makes us very sad to do that, but in the end we believe the lesson being taught is that of respect, dignity, and personal responsibility for the one who is asked to depart. We do no favors if we allow people to behave in disruptive ways and rob others of their peace, and we do nothing to show that such behaviors are unacceptable to us and to Almighty God.

     Until recently our son had a precious dog named Mason, whose company we also were blessed to know in our home for many years.  He was a beautiful golden retriever and a blessed addition to both our families. Shawn (our son) and his family live next door to us.  Because they do not currently have a garage, he stores his motorcycle in ours and rides it often back and forth from his daily workplace.  Mason could hear Shawn approaching home long before any human ears became aware of him.  He would hop up from the floor and head for the back door, eager for our daughter-in-law to let him out the door to trot across the two yards and greet his master (or "Alpha," as Shawn referred to himself), tail wagging and a dance in his step.  You could almost hear Mason say, "You're home!  You're home!  I'm so glad to see you!  I've missed you!  I really, really love you!"  I loved watching this welcome unveil each day.  I know Shawn also loved it.  Mason is gone now, but we will always remember that feeling of warmth and acceptance that he so freely shared with those he loved.  I think we would all be wise to follow Mason's example.  What a blessing it would be to those we love to know that we're excited to welcome them home.  In Luke 15:11-32 we can read the story of the return of the prodigal son and the joy his presence generated in the heart of his father.  His son was home.  Regardless of what had happened out in the world, the son was welcomed home with enthusiasm, joy, and unconditional love.

     To some people, the word "home" carries with it the thoughts of verbal abuse, degradation, and even (for some) physical violence.  It is a place to be avoided at all cost, and so they seek love and acceptance out on the streets or in other inappropriate places that only bring more heartache and hurt into their lives.  How sad it is to see those homes where Satan has been given the victory and the peace of God has been covered over by the anger of mankind.

     I encourage you today to determine in your heart that home will always mean "HOME, SWEET HOME" for yourself and those you love.  Whether at work, at school, or even in the Land of Oz, may you and your family always be able to say "There's no place like home," and to do so with smiles on your faces and joy in your hearts as you anticipate your return.

"Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it..."

(Psalm 127:1)  

Lessons From Mason

Last week was hard.  It was a week of difficult, painful decisions and then the emotional upheaval resulting from those choices made.  It was a time of saying good-bye to a long-time, faithful friend and companion.  Last week was a moment in time that felt as if things would never be the same again... and so far, that feeling lingers on.

Sometimes love is glorious and happy, but sometimes love is difficult and agonizing.  Love is hardest when we are called to make a decision that doesn't feel good to us for the sake of the well-being of the one we love.  Perhaps one of the greatest lessons we can ever learn in life is that real love is never selfish.  Real love requires that we put someone's best interest before our personal desires.

I think God may have brought Mason into our lives to teach us valuable lessons that we could not have learned without his help.  From Mason, we learned that everyone needs to feel as if coming home is the greatest thing we can do for those who love us.  We should never be ashamed to run out the back door, across the lawn, and into the arms of someone who returns home to share our love with them.  Perhaps they're coming home from a horrible day at work or a hurtful experience at school, but that shouldn't matter to those waiting there at home.  It's all about reminding loved ones that home is a good place, a safe place, a place where we will always find acceptance.

Mason taught us that even the little pleasures in life are significant.  A bowl of popcorn and a cold drink-- when shared with someone we love, those small pleasures become gigantic memories that will last a lifetime.  A warm arm around our shoulder or a gentle kiss on the cheek can make all the difference in someone's day.  Sometimes, just sitting beside that person and listening intently... keeping our focus on that one singular person for a time... making eye contact so that he or she knows you are hearing what they have to say-- those moments in time speak volumes about the depth of our love.

From Mason, we learned that it is our responsibility to watch over those we love and protect them from potential harm, to the best of our abilities.  Most of our days will be quiet and non-eventful, but when danger approaches, we must be willing to put ourselves out in front of our loved ones to fearlessly face the onslaught. When we know we are loved and that home is a safe place, we can lie down to sleep peacefully.  We can expose our weakest parts and most intimate feelings without fear of being hurt, because we will know that those we love so deeply love us in return.  As we have protected them, so will they protect us. 

God brought Mason into our lives to teach us that love does not hinge on how we look, what we own, or even how we smell.  Love transcends all things.  Love trusts and can be trusted in return.  And sometimes, love hurts.

Last week, love meant letting go of Mason so that his suffering could come to an end.  It meant putting his needs before our wants.  And oh, how that love did hurt as we said good-bye.  But I believe with all my heart that Mason knew he was loved... and there is no doubt that Mason loved us all.  Now, Mason runs the open fields of heaven.  He was a loyal, faithful friend.  Mason was a good dog, and we will miss him.

  ^"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

(I Corinthians 13:4-7)

Making the Tough Choice

Back in 2012 I began this blog because of the prompting of the Holy Spirit in my heart, and I believe as much today as I did back then that it was in the Father's plan for me to share the thoughts and beliefs I hold with those who would read them.  However, life is always changing... that is one constant of which we can always be certain.  Nothing remains the same.  My life is changing now, as well.  I have become the associate pastor of a congregation here in South Carolina and am pursuing ordination as a Wesleyan pastor.  In addition, I will be continuing classes through Southern Wesleyan University toward my bachelor's degree in ministry.  I also participate in a weekly nursing home ministry, teach back-to-back classes on Sunday evenings at my church, preach on a fairly regular basis, and direct the music and worship for our congregation now.  I still try to maintain close communication with members of my family back in Michigan and also minister to individuals within our community on various levels.  Recently, I received the go-ahead from our city hall to organize and facilitate an interdenominational revival service later in the fall.  Perhaps you are beginning to see that my daily schedule is becoming increasingly full of commitments, all of which I cherish.  But, like anyone else, I simply cannot do it all and have it all if I am to retain a healthy balance of ministry life and personal life (and believe me, my relationship with my husband and family are always a top priority for me).  Sometimes, we find ourselves needing to make difficult choices, and this is one of those times.

While I have been truly blessed to post my thoughts on this blog, and have been blown away by the knowledge that people all over the world have read many of them, I must admit that the overall effectiveness of this avenue of ministry is probably quite limited.  More often than not, we are most effective when ministering on a personal, face-to-face level with individuals, such as I do in my church and community ministry efforts.  So, now I find myself needing to decide where I will devote my time in order to be most fully used by the Lord.  Composing and maintaining this blog takes valuable time in my schedule that I believe can probably be best used in my local ministry.  Unless I receive some divine direction to the contrary, I will  greatly decrease the number of blogs I post in the future, or may even discontinue the site altogether.

If you have been reading my blog and desire to see me continue writing and posting, please make a comment to that effect so that I can know who is being blessed by those efforts on my part.  This is a tough choice to make, and I want to be certain that I'm making the right one.  Your comments (or lack thereof) will help me make that decision.  I thank you all personally from the bottom of my heart for reading what I've had to say.  My most fervent prayer is that in some way I might have touched your heart with a word of encouragement or enlightenment to make your journey just a little easier.  May God richly bless you all!