With that imagery in mind, I was reflecting one day on our relationship. I see in my heart and in my mind this home we're building. It has a strong foundation in Christ (Matthew 7:24-25), and a strong covering of God's presence and protection (Psalm 18:1-2). Out front is a mercy tree, one growing for many years in both of our lives. There is a front porch of hospitality where we often welcome family and friends into our lives. Inside there are pillars of communication, vigorous honesty, sexual integrity, faithfulness, and love. There are also support beams holding everything else in place - friendship, affection, mutual respect for each other.
It has a huge family room - no television or technology, just space to spend time with the ones we love, to be ourselves in community with others. The comfy sofa is perfect for Saturday morning coffee conversations or Sunday afternoon naps. (We love naps!)
There is a workroom where Steven can play with his trains and tractors, where he can create new adventures and transport himself back to the farm where he grew up. As he works, music fills the air.
Not far from the workroom, close enough I can still hear the music, there is a sunroom for me, where I can soak in the warm sun and the beauty of the outdoors. It is filled with books and journals, space and inspiration to write.
In the center of the house, there is a kitchen, a place of creating & sharing meals together, a place where we feed our bodies and our souls.
There is a bedroom, our room, where we disconnect from everything and everyone else, to connect with each other, to know and to be known, to love and to be loved. It is a place where we can delight in each other and rest together, a place of desire and expectation, as well as rest and contentment.
Off the hallway, there are guest rooms for family coming to visit and eventually for children. These rooms are places of warmth and care, not just empty placeholders. They are filled with tidbits of our lives, snapshots of vacations taken and races ran, adventures past and present.
All throughout our home is beautiful music from both of our hearts, songs full of joy and grace, even sorrow at times. They are songs that reflect God's goodness and faithfulness. Sometimes the notes emanate from Steven's keyboard, sometimes from our voices. Sometimes they are the low notes only Steven can hit and sometimes the high notes that make me reach. The playlist could be an eclectic mix from traditional hymns to praise, classic rock or country. It doesn't matter. They are songs that make us want to dance or songs that echo the cry of our souls.
In my mind, it's a beautiful picture, a home for our family, a home for us. We've been working on building the real-life version of it for awhile now. It's a work in progress, a long-term renovation project. We've worked hard on the foundation and pillars. It has taken time and patience and teamwork. It's been such a worthwhile journey and so exciting to see the pieces taking shape, to see the growth and the maturity, the progress and the beauty. We look back and see the work we've done, learning what it means to love and to be loved, to care for each other, and to share life together in Christ. We see God's handiwork, from the major demolition work and the heavy lifting removing guilt and shame, work that we could never have done on our own. We also see His craftsmanship, the detail work, paving the way for better connection and conversation, for us to be better versions of ourselves and to bring out the best in each other.
It's a construction site. God's still working on us and in us and for us. I'm excited about continuing the build.
Journey with us for the next chapter...
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