In my imagination, the ideal home that heals would have all the appeal of a fixer upper fresh from a Chip and Joanna Gaines big reveal. It would boast the organizational magic of a Marie Kondo transformation with sparks of joy flying everywhere. Remember... that's my imagination at work. Not likely to happen this side of heaven and definitely not anytime soon.
But don’t get me wrong, shiplap and shoe boxes can go a long way toward giving us a fresh perspective on the walls that surround us. Hope reigns eternal that someday I'll be able to find a flashlight when I need it, and that my home will have at least one cozy room always ready for company. But in my heart I know a home that heals has little to do with those things. Why? Because of some women I met years ago in Africa.
Wherever you go out into this big ‘ol world, home is a special place - or at least it’s supposed to be. On a trip to Africa with World Vision, I remember the welcoming women of a Kenyan village who grabbed me by the hand and proudly took me to visit their mud huts. The picture you see here is a much younger me on a tour inside one of their homes. Small children were running around and dinner was cooking in a big pot. They were so pleased to invite me into their world. There was something about stepping into that hut where they cooked their meals, cared for their children, and even protected their livestock at night, that connected us. Homes have a way of doing that.
A home that heals definitely does that. It seeks to connect those on the inside and those on the outside that come our way. I’ve been guilty of dirty house syndrome. If my house wasn’t sparkling from a top to bottom scrubbing, I just didn’t feel comfortable inviting folks inside. But slowly I’ve tried to change that and become more like my sisters in Kenya. They would be considered desperately poor by our standards, and their homes the very definition of humble, but they did not let that create a barrier between us. The feeling I had on my Kenyan home tour has stayed with me all these years because it convinced me of something even more important than the value of hospitality. I don’t need all I have, to have all I need. Those lovely, welcoming Kenyan women showed me that. I hope I never forget it. Brie and I will be talking more about contentment and connection in our upcoming podcast. We'd love to hear about the people who have inspired you toward a more contented lifestyle, so please send us your story.
Here’s something I’m thinking about this week:
Jesus said, "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasure in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." Matthew 6:19-21
If you would like to learn more about the global impact World Vision has on communities and children visit https://www.wvi.org/our-impact . You can donate to World vision or sponsor a child by clicking here.