The Value of Home
Recently, I have been reading a book called “The Life Giving Home, becoming a place of Belonging and Becoming” by Sally and Sarah Clarkson, a mother and daughter team. This book has freshly inspired me to consider the value and importance of home.
We live in a day and age where often we are going from one activity to the next and the importance of home, connecting with one another, and celebrating each other seems to be getting lost. We need to recapture the importance of home and place it on high priority as the bedrock and foundation of a society that is slowly eroding.
Part of God’s plan for us is making and creating a home. Be it a tiny place or a larger place it does not matter, rather we need to consider those things that make up home.
In Jeremiah 29: 8 it says: This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem. Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply. Do not dwindle away. And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” (NLT)
Later in verse 11 the Lord encourages them again.” For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (NLT)
God’s hearts for us as his people, even though living in exile in the sense that we are not in heaven with Him yet, is to build home, create home, do homey things, live in the ordinary and expect to see his fingerprints in our lives.
The question is how do we go about doing this? How do we build home? Sally and Sarah Clarkson highlight a few things of importance in the building of home, from which we can learn. They are as follows:
- Use imagination and story telling in your home to create understanding that your children and in fact each of you have a place in God’s story.
Sally Clarkson tells how their family placed a huge emphasis on stories. First and foremost, God’s story and how we fit in and then stories of heroes and heroines fighting battles, engaging in adventure. They exposed their children to literature which would grip their children’s imaginations and encourage them to see that life too is a story, and we play an integral role, then for their children to identify with battles to be faced, victories to be won and homes to create.
- In your planning of activities and ways to build, have days to commemorate.
There are many days in a year which we can celebrate and commemorate.
There are birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, advent, Christmas.
For all these special moments and traditions can be created. Notes can be written to inspire and encourage, gifts made, special food cooked and walks, and picnics had, playing of games and enlightening discussions. It’s these celebrations and traditions that our children remember and cherish and try and create as part of home when they grow older.
- Have times of Delight
Here, Sally Clarkson emphasises the importance of play. When her children were little, she encouraged them to play by collecting Lego and building blocks. She gave them time to build and create. She also collected puzzles and had a special dress up box for imaginative play. In our screen and iPad orientated world, it is often easy to overlook having times of imaginative play, yet this is so important. It creates an opportunity for our children to imagine dream and build. She also mentions the importance of creative travel. When going on a long trip she would pack an activity suitcase for each child. This would keep them busy and fire their imaginations. She would have all sorts of things such as crayons, paints, stickers, cards and anything she thought would inspire them. As a family they would also create a road trip soundtrack with their favourite music. All this would lead to and create an atmosphere of creative learning and delight.
- Remember Home is Best
Create a safe and comforting space for your children at home. Let it be a place that they long to come home to and find refuge in. Let it be a place of their favourite foods and home comforts, a place where they know they can unburden and talk, a place where they can eat their favourite colours and smells. Let it be a sanctuary. Find out what each member of the family enjoys, be it music, special covers, room décor and create a haven for them. Let boundaries of loyalty and commitment be set and teach each one to listen and reflective listen. Keep communication open. Let it be a place where they can unwind and relax. (Sally Clarkson)
In conclusion we reflect on the value of home and remember Psalm 127:1 ( NLT) Unless the Lord builds the house the work of the builders is wasted. Make time to share a devotion, pray for each other on the way to school, Sing and praise together, share thoughts hopes and dreams and seek the peace and presence of the Lord.
Let the Lord lead and be the helm of the home. Soak your home in prayer.
May our homes be a place of Belonging and Becoming and may we be freshly inspired to create with the Lord’s help, a home and a haven.
Works Cited
Sally and Sarah Clarkson, The Life Giving Home, Becoming a Place of Belonging and Becoming.
By Michelle Herbert