Home, Sweet Home

The sign that hangs on the wall in our sunroom says, “Home Sweet Home.” I bought it because I loved the colors and the sentiment (and because it looked like something Joanna Gaines would have hanging in her house). As I look at that sign every day, I wonder what it takes to make that sign true about my home.

Here are some thoughts I would like to share with you, even though I run the risk of making some readers angry with me.

• The attitudes of the people living in this home are sweet. 

I know that every home has its bad moments when sweetness just doesn’t seem to be available, but if the right attitudes are the foundation, that sweetness will rise to the surface sooner or later.

• Every member of the family feels like part of the family, and is willing to share in the responsibilities of the home.

Sometimes wives/mothers feel overwhelmed with all of the tasks in the home. While it is her responsibility to be the “keeper at home” (Titus 2), it is not hers alone to see that the home runs smoothly. She is the manager of the home which implies she hands out responsibilities to others which will train them in the care and keeping of a home. Husbands/fathers also have responsibilities which need to be shared with the children so that they learn to help carry the load.

• A home that is sweet will also be orderly.

Clutter is a problem in many homes. Sometimes we don’t have enough places to put all of our stuff, but we continue to buy even more stuff until our rooms and attics and garages and storage buildings are all full of stuff. It is difficult to keep an orderly home when it is too full of clutter. 

• A home that is sweet will have a well-used kitchen/dining room table. 

Families who gather around a table to share a meal and talk with one another are bound to be more in tuned to each other’s feelings. Games will be played around this table, as well as deep conversations concerning many different topics. This place in our homes should be an “electronic free zone;” – no TV, cell phones, electronic games, etc.

• Love is plentiful in that home and expressing that love for others is seen often.

The kind of love I’m talking about here is the kind that thinks of others first and only wants what is best for them. Hugs and kisses are handed out on a regular basis and smiles and laughter are seen and heard often.

• This home is a shelter in the storms of life.

The world and often those in it will hand out plenty of grief and life will often be full of storms, but our homes should always be a place of comfort and peace.

• God lives in this home and His word is honored there.

Nothing could be more important–or make your home sweeter–than to know that God dwells in the hearts of each person living there. This makes our homes a taste of heaven on earth.

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