Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ---Hebrews 13:5
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(Note: if Home is only 'a place to hang your hat,' you may not understand this post, the intensity we decorators/nesters-at-heart feel.)
So last week a friend wrote that she hoped I would make peace with my house.
I thought, "Wow! That was so two years ago. I guess she missed my blog posts about acceptance." シ
But yeah, I spent some years becoming grateful for Hobbit Cottage--and I am (now), even though it's in no way my dream house. No. Way. My. Dream. House.
I'll not live in that one until Heaven.
And you know? When I finally accepted that fact, God gave me a gift of patience to wait--and--without being all cranky in the meantime. heh.
What also helped: I stopped watching HGTV (for immorality reasons) and wow. That's when I ceased wishing for a new house. Yep, about that exact time. All those houses, all that decorating--gone.
(Weird note: Earlier I'd given-up viewing Home Town. Why? During the reveals, Erin's rooms made me wild with discontentment. I'd cry, even, because gorgeous rooms like hers will never belong to me upon Earth. And yes, in this case, I can say never. Sometimes you just know.)
My house envy also disappeared when I stopped daily scrolling down local real estate online. I mean, why welcome temptation and frustration into my heart? (Toward the end I had no peace while viewing houses, but still I did it--until I told myself to knock it off.)
And then Tom and I, now in our 60's, began slowing waaaay down and suddenly our small, easy-to-clean rooms felt gift-like. Just considering moving exhausted us! Oh, someday we'll likely move into an assisted-living/townhouse/whatever type place, but that'll be it. The last place. (Already we're praying we'll survive that move.) ツ
So perhaps you noticed: it's been a process. Rarely do any good, necessary changes in our lives happen in one day. This releasing of my dream house wishes, this acceptance that some things just are the way they are: it's required process. Experience. Time.
But anyway, I'm grateful that we took advantage of the earlier house-buying, moving, traveling, farming seasons of our lives. That we didn't procrastinate them until they became impossible.
And as I've mentioned before, our bucket lists stand nearly empty. What remarkable decades, seasons, God gave us and still is, these different, but still special later years.
You can color us extremely thankful. Indeed.
"In a sense, contentment is the absence of worry—whether that be about who we are, what we have or don't have, or what our condition is in life. Many people struggle to be content. Human nature tends toward discontentment, but the Bible teaches us that we are to be content with what we have ( Hebrews 13:5 ). Contentment does not mean we cannot desire something or wish for a change in our life circumstances, but it means that we have learned to be satisfied with what we have in the present." ---copied
Often we won't feel differently until after we behave differently.
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What I'm reading lately? Beverly Cleary's Ramona books. It had been a few years and oh, that Ramona! She makes this 2021 world a sweeter place. ツ
In case you have extra time, here's a post I wrote years ago about a poignant chapter from the book, Ramona's World.
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Yes.
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"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15
4 comments:
A lot of wisdom here. Thank you.
Oh little Ramona. I have enjoyed reading those books too.
Thank you for this post. I struggled a LOT this year. It was hard to give up our dream of traveling in our RV, a dream we have had for 40 YEARS, to move back to Nebraska. We had never planned to live in the land of humid summers again. We bought a split level home. Our third one. I detest split level homes. I really do. In a neighborhood that is right on the edge of a very dangerous part of town. I literally hear gunshots every night as I lay in bed.
Remember last summer and I was sleeping in my RV by a mountain lake? What a change.
But....God wants me here. In a split-level house, in Nebraska, in humidity, in a somewhat dangerous place. Why? He will reveal it in time. And this house is becoming our home. Slowly but surely. And I'm beginning to accept it, deep in my heart. We have great neighbors here.
I'm trying to be content. I'm trying to be the person God wants me to be, not necessary who I thought I was going to be.
Blessings and love,
Betsy
Debra, I can't tell you how many times your posts have helped me. Life is complex. I think most of us learn God's lessons very gradually. For me, it often seems 2 steps forward and 1 back, but that's okay. My husband and I have been incredibly stretched as we try to keep up with our farm and the little retirement home nearer our kids. The little place is older and very, very modest, but over the past year, we have learned to appreciate it. Because of this little place, we have been able to spend lots of time with our grand daughter. I have gained much from your experiences, Debra, but something that has helped me is your drive to make your home work for you--to continue to try to figure out solutions, then to rest, watch a movie, read a book, order take-out and enjoy life. Balance. Contentment. That's what I want! xoxo
Sandi--thanks so much and you're most welcome!
Oh Betsy! I was so sorry to hear about the gun shots. I'll pray that your area will become safer for all. Very occasionally we hear shots here and if I'm outside I always quietly gather up my things and step back into the house. sigh. I'm so thankful for God's protection! Oh, and your house is looking so cozy and may that prove to be a great comfort to you.
Pam--I had to smile, for you know me so well! That description of my days was completely accurate. :) (I'm glad you're nearer your little granddaughter!)
Thanks so much, Everyone! Blessings, Debra
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