Heaven On Earth?

"Home interprets heaven. Home is heaven for beginners." Charles Henry Parkhurst

As I shared the importance of creating healthy homes with my young audience (a girl's youth group) I was reminded myself of the impact of a Godly home.

We discussed how homes should be the center of life, not merely a pit stop along the way.

Homes should be places of refuge where there is safety and nurturing and care, providing shelter from the storm and peace far from the maddening crowd.

The hub of much ministry is a home. Coffee and counsel are shared at the kitchen table. Young people from broken homes find solace and comfort there. They witness something they've never experienced elsewhere. Your own children and husband grow in Christian love, blossoming in their calling to follow after Him.

We underestimate the value of the home. The world has sold us a false bill of goods. We're led to believe that jobs, wearing nice clothes, sporting a diploma, and bringing home the bacon are of paramount import, certainly more significant and valuable than investing primarily in a home. It is humbling, downright embarrassing at times, to admit to being a homemaker. Face it. Girls grow up being asked, "What are you going to be when you grow up? A teacher, model, secretary, or astronaut?" No one ever expects the answer to be homemaker. And no one would applaud such mundaneness. How unimaginative. How banal. How trivial. How... small.

Creating order, living economically, establishing freedom to learn and explore talents, providing nurturing care - these things and more go into building a healthy home. And these things require intelligence, creativity, energy, strength, administration, and - an all important ingredient - time.

Nothing is more important than providing a sanctuary for family and fellow travelers along life's way. And there is no greater task than seeing a husband and children encouraged in and released to Christian ministry in the local church and community.

So let's remember once again the largeness of the task before us. A man once shared a vision the Lord had given him. He was looking into heaven at the multitude surrounding the throne in worship. As he drew closer he began canvassing the front rows, searching for his heroes in the faith. He examined face after face and recognized no one. These rows, he soon realized, were comprised of unknowns. A majority were older women, mothers who earned their coveted positions here through quiet service, proving themselves faithful in that which is least. The man was amazed and humbled.

What we consider common place, mundane, and therefore of little importance weighs out very differently on His scales: Home, Family, Love = Priceless.