Day 18

Good Stuff, Not Just Because it’s Pink

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 04:14 AM PDT

My dear friend Ellen from sweetwater has outdone herself this year and she has no idea.  Also? Her graphics are to die for.  Her series, Abide: 31 Days to Love Where You Live is slightly spellbinding and full of wise-make-you-think words.  I LOVE what she says about margin:

“Margin is not an excuse to not to be going out. Margin is what makes going out possible.”

And she talks about the truth of how we might feel about our homes: Love is Not Like

love is not like.

"This post is part of a 31 day journey. See the rest of abide: love where you live right here.

When I hear people using words that run down their houses and where they are, my heart wrenches for them to know freedom. That way of living? It’s paralyzing. It’s ok to say it’s hard. It’s ok to say it’s not where you want to be. But then? We have to choose love.

I get it. I get not liking where you are. I’ve felt that up and down and all over. But do you know what? It’s possible to love where you are but not like it. Like is a feeling. It fades. It whips with the wind. It has no roots.

Love? Love is a choice. Love remains. Love is what’s before you everyday when you wake up and when you slam that broken cabinet and when you sit down to an empty table and when you’re never caught up on the cleaning.

Jesus said that what’s inside makes it’s way out. And if you’re stuck in dislike for where you are, it’s going to color everything. All the little things that are sandpaper will start to define where you are. Instead you could choose to love where you are because you believe in a good God and you believe He moves things forward and you believe that change actually does happen, even if it happens slowly. You could endure with love. And it would be beautiful to all the people around you. And it would mean freedom.

How can you choose to love today?

We’ve gotten to the part about people. And that’s why we need to settle this choosing love thing today.

The Nester has been writing all about home on purpose this month and today she’s sharing how her family is choosing what they love right where they are. It’s kind of awesome."

To choose to love.  A beautiful, Christian sentiment, and a wonderful way to look at where we live.  To love it because those we love dwell there, and there are good memories and happy times at the place.  After all, it really doesn't matter what it looks like, what matters is the people there.  I used to take pride in my belief that I was not attached to a home building, much, but that my family was my home, and being with them, I was happy.  Now, I feel more attached to my home.  Sentimental that Mom and Dad will be selling the "old homestead" soon, and more and more complaining about where we live now.  I need to regain the sense of love for a place, and the utmost importance of who, not where.  It doesn't matter what a like, it matters what I love.  And loving is a choice.