9-20-20 Home is Where Love Starts

Quote: “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” – Mother Theresa

At the beginning of this past week, I began to be bombarded with story after story of friends and family who were struggling with big issues going on in their life.  And by big issues, I mean things even beyond the negative effects of the pandemic.  Scary medical diagnoses, job losses, kids struggling with at home school, teachers overwhelmed, hurtful and hateful things being said to each other, marriage crises – the list went on and on.  My heart was so consumed with sadness listening to people’s pain that I was hitting my knees in prayer more often than not to cry out to our loving God on their behalf.

But then as the week progressed, my own house started to get hit.  Sibling bickery, the boys’ schoolwork bringing the pressures of deadlines, failing wi-fi, and Mark and I were definitely getting on each other’s nerves (6 months together with no break was clearly beginning to take its toll on us!)

God spoke very loudly to me and reminded me of Mother Theresa’s quote.  I can pray for the world but if I don’t help my own house first, I’m kind of missing the point.  It starts at home.  This is how we change the world.  We show the ones that we live with the most love, so then they can go out and love and change the world.

I gave all the problems of the world to God for Thursday and Friday.  I focused on the kids and Mark.  I prayed with each of them individually to get an idea of what was causing them the most stress.  Earlier bedtime turned out to be the easy fix for one of them.  One of them needed some help with one of their subjects.  Two of them needed friend time so we arranged a playdate and a sleepover.  And on Saturday night, we went out to dinner as a family.  Then we snuggled up on the floor with piles of blankets and pillows and watched the movie “Finding Dory” together, an oldie but a goodie.  We laughed, we hugged, and we loved on each other.

The world’s problems will always be there – always.  We live in a world where there is a constant battle between good and evil.  And it will be like this until we are in Heaven.  But the biggest circle of influence we have right now is in our HOME.  This is where love is shown and modeled.  We only have these babies for just a bit of time before it will be their turn to go out into the world and find love to begin their own little circle of influence.

The Bible says in Deuteronomy 6:5-7: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

It really does all boil down to love.  The world needs a lot of love right now.  But we must be sure our homes are our #1 focus.  That we create houses of abundant, unconditional, never-ending  LOVE.