Dandelions and Daydreams

Yesterday, I read one of the most pleasant books that I have read in a long time. The Spirit of Loveliness: Bringing Beauty, Creativity, and Order to Your Life by Emilie Barnes is inspiring and calming at the same time. The author encourages readers to create beauty without being condemning or judgemental.

Right now, our 3 room apartment (kitchen/livingroom, bedroom, and bathroom) is barely functional. When we moved in here, I had to give up beautiful for “just getting by.” Life here is no tea party, but it can be beautiful.

Even better, there are no “set rules” for beauty in Emilie Barnes book. Home is about sharing your life with others and creating a safe refuge from the world. For Emilie Barnes, that means tea cups and lace; for you it may mean pottery and mosaics. For me, its warm blankets, sunshine, my favorite book, and a pottery mug of something hot to drink.

For the most part, I get hung up on not living in my dream house with my dream life. The goal is to take bits and pieces of that dream and turn it into a reality, in my (your) own home. Today.

I have a notebook of ideas that I gleaned from reading this book. Check back next week to read about my inspiration from The Spirit of Loveliness.

Subscribe to Dandelions and Daydreams in a reader or by Email so you won’t miss any of the posts about creating a beautiful home.

photos (in order of appearance) windy angels CC-BY-SA

This is what I’m dreaming of.

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

In this simple story of two sisters opening their home to Jesus, you can see 3 steps to being a great host or hostess:

1. Keep your house “company ready.”

Martha readily opened her home to Jesus and his disciples. While there may have been signs that the house was lived in, I bet that busy Martha was a good homemaker. My biggest barrier to opening my home to hospitality is “the house is dirty.” It’s not necessary to have a perfect home, but if you feel embarrassed by the mess, chances are you won’t invite anybody in.

2. Spend time with your company.

Mary sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to the things he had to say. Have you ever been invited over for supper only to find that once you arrived, you are seated and the hostess rushes off to the kitchen to finish cooking her “perfect” seven course meal? It’s awkward to be in someone’s house without a host or hostess. If you can’t entertain in the kitchen, plan your meal so that it is all prepared before the guests arrive leaving you free to enjoy your friends.

3. Don’t let perfectionism be a source of tension.

Don’t strive for the perfect company meal–we’re not perfect, and we never will be this side of heaven. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s stop trying to present ourselves as perfect. Just open your heart and open your home. Invite someone into your life–as it really is, not as you would like for it to be. By accepting imperfection, the process of hosting will be much less stressful. If having company always leads to tension you will be much less likely to open your doors to friends and family.

All that hospitality really requires is making room in your life for another person. Listen. Welcome. Invite. Don’t try to make things more complicated than they need to be.

Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;

Psalm 37:3-5

I hate the days when God asks me to take on the hard things.  I want life to be a bed of roses, and I find myself with dreams that don’t come true (or at least haven’t yet).  I pray, I beg God to fulfill these longings in my heart.  I cry.  My heart aches.  I dread facing those who have been blessed while my arms remain empty.

Through it all, I continue to delight in the Lord.  I know that He has a perfect plan for my life.  While I have these painful unfulfilled longings, the deepest desire for my heart is to walk in His will, to wait upon Him.

My life, my body, my everyday belongs to Him so that He might be glorified through me.  If these dreams that I hold go unfulfilled, I will love Him still.  He sealed His love for me in blood when His Son, Jesus Christ, died on a cross in payment for my sin.

When I cry, He cries with me because He loves me.  He doesn’t give me everything that I cry for because He loves me.  Though I may not like where I am right now, I will love Him still.  I know He has a perfect plan for me, and my deepest desire–my only desire–is that He be glorified through me.  Nothing else matters.

For now, I am trying “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.”  In time, He will reveal His purpose.

For years, philosphers and commoners alike have pondered the important question of “why did the chicken cross the road?”

This morning, I walked out to the car to get my cell phone, and was forced to ask, “Why did the goose cross the road?”

I think he got lost on his way to Canada.