An Imprint On Our Homes
Here are some encouraging and refreshing words from Queen of the Castle by Lynn Bowen Walker:
As I sat on the gym floor waiting for my son’s wrestling practice to finish, I read a magazine article about women who own their own businesses. Each had a specialty. A niche. Something that made her company different from all the others.
I got to thinking about that in the light of homemaking. Isn’t that true of us too? Aren’t we all keepers of the home differently, depending on our interests, our energy level, the ages and number of our children, our family’s priorities?….
Our spiritual gifts, too, help determine our niche as homemakers. If God has gifted us with hospitality, our homes might draw friends for warm chocolate chip cookies…and a listening ear. If God has gifted us in serving, our homes might be bustling hubs of meal preparation for the sick…or places where baby clothes are laundered and readied to be brought to crisis pregnancy centers. If God has given us gifts of knowledge and wisdom, our homes might be quiet places where we study God’s Word and perhaps lead others in Bible studies.
Our job descriptions and our homes will look different than those of every other homemaker. The problem comes when we begin to compare, to think that because someone else’s home is straight out of a magazine, complete with hand-spun dog-hair blankets, prize-winning begonias, and her own flock of grain-fed geese, our homes should mimic that. We are each unique, “immaculately unique,” as one author puts it. God has given us “varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord” (1 Corinthians 12:4,5). We have different gifts and different ministries. Why do we think our homes should look the same?
So give it some thought. Ask God. What is your niche as a homemaker? How should your home be unique as a result? Dwell on the wonder that, just as each person’s thumbprint carries swirlies and whirlies unique to its owner, so our homes carry one-of-a-kind impressions simply because our touch leaves an imprint that no one else can duplicate.
That's some good stuff! Thanks for recommending this book – I'll check it out. It's an interesting perspective to think of what God wants to do with our home – though I'm not sure if my niche should be "dirty & messy Melissa's exploring place" :). Though what do I know, I guess God can use anything!
Definitely, Anne. My niche right now is completely "family-centered." My house is one where babies are being nurtured and trained and loved, housework has to be done, but it is not being done WELL. I want everyone to be happy, safe, and growing in Jesus. One day, my niche may change, but for now, I won't worry about comparing myself with the beautiful, perfect homes, or the wife who is a cooking whiz and esteemed gardener. I have to think eternal here. If God is pleased with my home, then I certainly should be, too!