My Little Yellow House In The Land of Goshen

(Not Our little yellow house. This one's cuter.) シ

"You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have."   --- Genesis 45:10

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Way back in the mid 1990's I read about the land of Goshen and thought, "Ohh, I'd have chosen to live there!"

Joseph (the rainbow coat guy) settled his family in Goshen during the drought and they had plenty, for Joseph had planned and prepped ahead (hint). ツ 

Years later, Goshen folks didn't even experience some of the biblical plagues: it's like God placed an invisible fence around them.

Goshen belonged to Egypt, yet stood on the outer edge, near the Nile. Belonged, but didn't belong. Egyptians hated shepherds (probably farmers, too)--they detested anyone living the country-life instead of being city slaves, making Goshen a land of the happy hated (in my mind).

Goshen means “drawing near” or “the best of the land.” Goshen has become synonymous with “a place of comfort and plenty.”

I picture parts of Goshen like this:

And this--

Anyway, these days? I'm making my own little yellow house on a tiny city lot into a sort of Land of Goshen. A 'place of comfort and plenty', a place to draw near to God. A separate place. Part, yet not a part of my city.

A sunny place (evident or not sky-wise)

A little yellow house surrounded by birds, breezes, and tiny, prosperous gardens.

A protected, favored, peaceful land even in the midst of drought or a Country at war with itself.

A land where God is honored, trusted, no matter what wind's swirling around our little corner lot of Goshen-in-our-hearts.

And when forgiveness, hope and anticipation reign, joy just sort-of Nile-like flows and bubbles around us. 

It's a sweet place. A good, godly one.

"The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen... Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly."   --- Genesis 47:6, 27

There comes a time to realize we have choices. As Christians, we do not have to live the same ol' sad way everyone else does. Almighty God lives inside us and we are not helpless!

 "If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."   --- John 15:19

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Here's where the saying, 'keeping up with the Jones' began (and also, sadly, where it can lead).

And more of the cautionary tale (in photos) which is Grey Gardens: Grey Gardens Before And After And After

The books I read in April? These:

Mama Makes Up Her Mind

The Case of the Calico Crab

Sleeping at the Starlite Motel

Emma's Island

Becky's Island

The Four-Story Mistake

Then There Were Five

Spiderweb For Two

The High House

And the challenge of the day:

Rampant creativity! We can aim for rampant creativity.

(More Goshen: I may live in a city suburb, but the inside of my heart resembles that farmland, above.)

Happy May Day to you!

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Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. 

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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