I had an awesome conversation with a good friend of mine this morning over some smoothies....(I love how the Lord can even be in the midst of the crazy Lifetime cafe!).
We talked about that we wanted our house to be a safe place to land... a place at the end of the crazy day that is refuge and respite. And to be quite honest, we both said, we're not sure if it is right now... Especially as my kids get ready to navigate the world of elementary school, where the playground can sometimes get rough, there's lots of instructions and demands, and LOTS of stimuli. When they get home, I pray that there is space to be calm, to reflect on their day, to be listened to, and to feel loved and accepted. Many times, these days, my house looks far from it. It looks like arguing, some nagging thrown in, and some hands up in the air with a "why would you do that?" thrown in... Don't get me wrong...this will also be a place of responsibility and chores and discipline. But, I want this to be their safe place to land. Their "home base"...the place where when you are being chased down, you've got a place to call "safe!".
This led my friend and I to wonder if this was truly our husband's safe place to land? I thought of Marley and Me, where Owen Wilson sits outside in his car for a few minutes before getting up enough courage to head into his house where a tired wife and screaming kids are waiting. I have no doubt that Sean has needed to do the same, especially when there were 3 kids under 2 waiting for him. And he was always ready...walked in the door, grabbed whoever needed holding and soothed my nerves simultaneously. All without breaking a sweat... Times are different now... not as much crisis mode...more living mode... So, does he have a space when he comes home to be encouraged, to be calm, and to just feel warmth? To feel like he has left his pressure world and gets a little respite? I pray that this is so, and if it's not, that it becomes so.
I thought of Psalm 23:6...Surely lovingkindness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever...
There's no safer place to land....
