It’s cold up here in the sparrow’s perch. Lately, we've had some wonderful days of
sunshine, temps in the 60’s and 50’s and much needed rain. So, it was a little
bit of a shock to wake up to temps in the 20’s this morning. I haven’t been coming to the church to do my
writing lately, simply because it is much more difficult, and expensive to warm
my office than it is to open the window and let a cool breeze blow through
during the summer. Besides, the
sparrows that bring me so much joy, are hunkered down somewhere else, hopefully
warmer, and well fed.
These things wouldn't have bothered me in the past. I wouldn't have cared about the 'stinking little sparrows.' As the course of my life draws closer to
it’s inevitable conclusion, I find myself less concerned with what I possess,
what people do to me, and what I get out of a situation. Suddenly, sparrows matter to me. Grandchildren, babies, and little ones make me giggle. I didn't used to care about these things, but now I do. At the same time, my body is less able to do
those things that my heart would like to do.
I used to be able to stay up till midnight, wake up at five, and work
endlessly in between. Now, I am happy
to lay my head down at 8, wake at 4, and lay in bed till five. My wife’s job forces her to be up at 3 in
the morning so she can prepare to be at work by five, and when she leaves at
4:30, the house is quiet, lonely, and actually the last place I want to
be. Which brings me to what I want to
talk about, my wife.
Home is my wife.
(No, I’m not trying to talk like Yoda.) My wife is literally, my home. Throughout the years of our marriage, we've lived in six different
States, twelve different cities, and about that many different abodes. Everywhere we've lived, one thing has
remained constant, HER. She is my home. Her raucous laughter, sparkling eyes,
and gentle touch are what drive me during the rest of the day. There is a Proverb that says; ‘happy is the
man who finds a wife, for he has found the favor of God.’ I've lived in the favor of God for over 37
years now. Seeing her, knowing she is
‘here’, is all I need. She is my
home.
I build houses, remodel, and repair houses for a
living. I know what houses look like
from the dirt, on up. I can show you
the difference between a home, and a house. I've seen way too many houses in my lifetime. I've seen gorgeous gilded boxes, that have no more life in them
than an empty candy box. I've seen tiny
shotgun homes with so much warmth, and love, you wouldn't ever need to turn on
the heater. I’ve seen houses crammed to
the rafters with the stuff money buys, and yet they are nothing more than
museums for the lunacy of our materialistic lifestyles. Things don’t make us
happy, they are substitutes for the real happiness of intimacy with someone who
loves you.
I know my wife is the breath, aroma, and home in my
life. Not long ago, I was reminded of
how crucial she is to me. She’d been
called upon to sub for another worker who worked midnight shift. This went on
for nearly two weeks. I didn't sleep
while she was gone. You see, we've been married for so long now, her breathing
is what gives me my sleep pattern.
Without her there, I would toss, turn, punch pillows, read, pray, and do
everything I knew to sleep. Without her
there, I wasn't home. My own house was
a strange place to me. I heard noises I
don’t usually hear. I thought thoughts
that I don’t usually think, and I . . . .missed her.
Now, before you start thinking all kinds of wrong thoughts,
we’re not a perfect couple. I’m sure
she wishes I were more attentive, more interested in what she is interested in,
and I wish the same thing. We take each
other for granted. That is more to do with the circumstances of life than a
desire of the heart. We've been blessed by God to weather this financial mess
our Nation is in, but then isn't that what a home is. It is a place to keep you safe, warm, and make living
bearable. She is all that to me, and
more. She is just one more assurance of
the provision of God in my life.
Glenda, I've found the favor of God in you. You are my home, and will always be.
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