Tuesday, September 20, 2011

A Home Or A House

My mind has been wondering the past couple of days with the question- What is a home? I've been looking around my house and sometimes feel very discouraged that it doesn't always seem to have that "everything is in it's place" look. Life is so crazy and hectic and you feel like you need to get up at 4a.m. to get everything done so that way when the rest of the household awakens you will be able to keep up with the small little chores throughout the day. The alarm goes off at whatever time in the morning and in the back of your brain your saying to yourself, "get up, you have to get up." But your body is arguing that you just want more sleep. Then when you finally get up, your frustrated with yourself because your back to square one and life is crazy and hectic and your happy if you can get through the day and have a somewhat straightened up house.

So as I mull over in my mind- My home is not perfect, I don't always look perfect, what is it that I can do? I am a pastor's wife, full time stay-at-home mom, I have a full time job, which I work from my own home. How your home is kept is what defines you as a woman. Is she a messy housekeeper? Is she very neat and clean, but I feel like I can't enjoy myself if I would visit? Is she clean, but doesn't get bent out of shape if someone visits and and something is put out of place?

I want my home to come across to people as being clean, but I also want people to feel very welcomed as they step through my door. I don't want to quietly send out the message that they need to tiptoe around my house because something might get dirty. The difference between a home and a house is this- a house is where people just sleep, but a home is a place where people live and love each other and welcome those who come to their door. I do not want people to come to my house and feel like my house is too nice of a place and they can't relax and enjoy themselves. Life is going to bring you curve balls and your days are not always going to go according to plan. Roll with the balls that are thrown to you. The number one goal should be- Does my home make people feel relaxed and can my family live in this home?  We mothers need to stop focusing on what we didn't get accomplished, but focus on what we did accomplish. Let's always create a home environment instead of a house environment.

Maybe this will help inspire you as it has inspired myself.


~Constance

1 comment:

Greg & Stephanie said...

Well, you hit my struggle right on the nose! People often wonder how I get so much done...what they don't see is how much of some things I have to leave undone! The way our house is laid out, a person who comes to the front door can see most of the living room, as well as the dining room table. We don't have a family room, so the living room definitely gets all the wear and tear! Nothing frazzles me more than to have someone come to the door while I have a load or two of laundry sitting on the love seat (waiting to be folded), fingerprints on the full glass storm door, mail and assorted odds and ends sitting on the table, and newspapers all over the floor by the recliner! But...we live there, and it's not going to be a house fit for a magazine cover. Period. I'm happier when I get a grip on that thought!