Wherever You Are Is My Home...
2014 has been a year of having everything I believe put to the challenge, and everything I preach needing to be practiced. I have had to reach deep... DEEP... into my own heart and mind to find the strength, understanding, and perseverance. It was not an easy year. It was a year of letting go, and letting God. And I must say, God was quite quiet. I think He knew that I already had everything I needed inside of me. All those years of building and exercising faith, hope, and trust did not fail me when I needed them most. And in the midst of all of the uncertainties, it was still a wonderful year, filled with wonderful moments.
I will confess, a person grows weary walking on water 24/7. The storm prevails all about me, yet, I keep my focus. My bones hurt. I am tired. But I keep walking forward, and trust.
In September, five years of wondering day to day what a court would decide about our home came to a sudden halt. Despite all of our efforts, regardless of getting out of debt, increasing our income, and proving that a temporary medical condition greatly affected our situation, the court decided our little dilapidated dream home would be better off without us. I was surprised at how relieved I felt. My husband, the hunter/gatherer, had realized years ago that we were better off without the house. It had been a money pit from day one. But I, the nester, didn't care. Home is home.
But, the words of my little girl kept comforting me. When we had first contemplated the possibility of moving, she joyfully proclaimed, "Mommy, Wherever you are is my home."
I have made a lot of art that reflected on that quote throughout these five years. She and I even had an article and artwork featured in a magazine!
I will confess, a person grows weary walking on water 24/7. The storm prevails all about me, yet, I keep my focus. My bones hurt. I am tired. But I keep walking forward, and trust.
In September, five years of wondering day to day what a court would decide about our home came to a sudden halt. Despite all of our efforts, regardless of getting out of debt, increasing our income, and proving that a temporary medical condition greatly affected our situation, the court decided our little dilapidated dream home would be better off without us. I was surprised at how relieved I felt. My husband, the hunter/gatherer, had realized years ago that we were better off without the house. It had been a money pit from day one. But I, the nester, didn't care. Home is home.
But, the words of my little girl kept comforting me. When we had first contemplated the possibility of moving, she joyfully proclaimed, "Mommy, Wherever you are is my home."
I have made a lot of art that reflected on that quote throughout these five years. She and I even had an article and artwork featured in a magazine!
Her sweet and simple sentiment grounded all of my fears, and kept me focus on what really... truly matters.
So, weeks after receiving news that time was up, we began moving into the home of my brother and his son, our only nephew. Many years ago, when our nephew was born, my brother surprisingly found himself a single father. On Thanksgiving of 1991, he and his six week old son moved in with us, and we helped raise our nephew, so that my brother could continue working full time. Never in a million years did I ever imagine that someday, they would return the favor. All these years later, two bachelors have opened their hearts and home to the six of us. We LOVE our private loft space. It is so warm and cozy. I have learned that we can live with far fewer "things" than I ever imagined. We left about 90% of our possessions behind. And I don't miss a thing! Most of all, we have LOVED reconnecting with my brother. The kids love getting to know him better, and he seems to love having their crazy noise and good hearted antics spilling over into his life. It was cathartic to move in just in time to celebrate Thanksgiving together. I think that was no coincidence. And it is so clear what we have to be thankful for.
The best part is that we are all working together, formulating a plan, and creating business endeavors that will help us reach our mutual dreams of living a simpler life, away from the city, embracing the fullness of life and family on a homestead. I will be sharing a lot more about all of that as we go.
But, this post is to share with those of you who have been following along with our journey. I wanted you to know that we are no longer in our little white house where the art, music, and laughter filled every nook and cranny. Funny thing is.... it's now just an empty shell. The art, music, and laughter have followed us! Glitter & Grunge Studio is wherever we are. Love grows in a new garden, in a new direction. I realized now, as I have so many times before, that what I was most afraid of losing, was what I most needed to let go of to move on.
Life is good. It is beautiful. And it is way to short and precious to ever lose a moment of it on "what ifs" and "if onlys."
We may not have reached our "Happily Ending" yet. But we are on our next chapter of "Happily Journeying Through This Life Together." I hope you will join us, and share in our adventures and misadventures as we continue to learn along the way.
So, weeks after receiving news that time was up, we began moving into the home of my brother and his son, our only nephew. Many years ago, when our nephew was born, my brother surprisingly found himself a single father. On Thanksgiving of 1991, he and his six week old son moved in with us, and we helped raise our nephew, so that my brother could continue working full time. Never in a million years did I ever imagine that someday, they would return the favor. All these years later, two bachelors have opened their hearts and home to the six of us. We LOVE our private loft space. It is so warm and cozy. I have learned that we can live with far fewer "things" than I ever imagined. We left about 90% of our possessions behind. And I don't miss a thing! Most of all, we have LOVED reconnecting with my brother. The kids love getting to know him better, and he seems to love having their crazy noise and good hearted antics spilling over into his life. It was cathartic to move in just in time to celebrate Thanksgiving together. I think that was no coincidence. And it is so clear what we have to be thankful for.
The best part is that we are all working together, formulating a plan, and creating business endeavors that will help us reach our mutual dreams of living a simpler life, away from the city, embracing the fullness of life and family on a homestead. I will be sharing a lot more about all of that as we go.
But, this post is to share with those of you who have been following along with our journey. I wanted you to know that we are no longer in our little white house where the art, music, and laughter filled every nook and cranny. Funny thing is.... it's now just an empty shell. The art, music, and laughter have followed us! Glitter & Grunge Studio is wherever we are. Love grows in a new garden, in a new direction. I realized now, as I have so many times before, that what I was most afraid of losing, was what I most needed to let go of to move on.
Life is good. It is beautiful. And it is way to short and precious to ever lose a moment of it on "what ifs" and "if onlys."
We may not have reached our "Happily Ending" yet. But we are on our next chapter of "Happily Journeying Through This Life Together." I hope you will join us, and share in our adventures and misadventures as we continue to learn along the way.
I can hardly wait to see all that the Lord has for your precious family <3
ReplyDeleteSimply beautiful.
Love you, Delinda Lea