Tuesday, November 19, 2013

When The Wind Blows And The House Shakes. . . Day #19 of Thankfulness

Some nights I think the wind will blow this old farmhouse right to the ground. 
With every gust the shutters rattle; windows shiver.
There are stress lines in rooms without wallpaper that show the give and take. 

The history this home has seen. 
Love, worn deep into the banister from hands through the years.
Grooves in the wood floor, from the farmers path every morning and evening, over decades. 
Love worn right through the couches and most everything in this home. 
The door to this home, wide open, for generations.
And the night of the wake for our son, those doors were open.
We flung them wide.
And through those doors walked generations of love.
Through those doors came the lost, and broken, the hurting.


A continuous welcome. 
There are no strangers here.
It is grace and love, sprinkled with joy. 

It is what drew my heart to this place. 
The sense of belonging, the tug of simplicity yet, layers of complexity. 
And the foundation of this house is solid rock
(really, it's a stone foundation)
It's strong and built to last.
It is the way of our faith.
It is rooted.
And though the wind blows, the shutters rattle, windows shiver;
the house will stand.

Luke 6:48
They are like a man building a house, 
who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. 
When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it,
 because it was well built.

Day #19 of Thankfulness

I am Thankful for:

A home filled with love
Oh there's fighting too, I just think it's a different kind of love
History that leaves a legacy of Godly men and woman 
News, as my husband drifts off to sleep, that his scans were clear
Children that giggle and play
stories
The legacy of family
love that runs deep and faith even deeper
Hope that the struggle will end
Snoring, may I never grow tired of the sound
Sunshine streaming through dirt laden windows
Time at the desk to dig through the layers
brothers who don't mind listening 
A cousin who is the sister I never had
SIL's who love their brother so very much
BIL's who spends time helping
Offers of help around the farm
this season of intentionally being thankful, I so often forget
That even though my heart is breaking, God will see us through
that even though I feel so overwhelmed and hard pressed;
there are folks who are helping to carry our burdens
The wind reminding us of the only solid foundation


When my world falls apart and the light turns to dark,
when the clouds gather round and the storms overwhelm
When my heart breaks in half and my strength cannot last
When I am lost in this land and I can't see your plan
I'll stand
On Christ the solid rock. . .all other ground is sinking sand!
Through every high and stormy gale
My Anchor holds within the veil!








8 comments:

  1. I love the picture! So glad to hear the news about the scan!

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    1. Thanks Jean. It is wonderful news. You all remain in our thoughts and prayers.

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  2. The above is from me, Jean Drury!

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  3. I was directed to your blog several days ago by a dear mutual friend. I just want to commend you for your ability to acknowledge the worry, setbacks and pain that can fall into our lives, often through no fault of our own, while you are also able to celebrate life's blessings and victories, whether great or small. Too often we dwell on the bad and overlook the many good things simply because we think that good, or just the absence of bad, should be "normal" and therefore does not need to be acknowledged. Thank you for reminding us that "normal" is often not inherently good or bad, but is largely a matter of how we choose to view things.

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    1. Thank you. Yes, so much is how we view things. Those are choices, and with God's strength we move forward.

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  4. We are praising God for your good news, and will continue to pray that the future continues to bring good news! Your expression of gratitude is a gentle reminder to us all that we need to continue to count our blessings each and every day; amongst all the heartache and pain, there are glimmers of hope to cling to!!

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