Starting at the Beginning

“He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” Ecc 3:11

My father was a minister in the tiny town in the Upper Peninsula where I was raised. There was an Indian Reservation, snow during a good part of the year, and a lot of poverty. There were not many newcomers to town, and it took many years to prove oneself.  With poverty, it seems people forget to be generous with their emotions as well, or so it seemed in this place where most were accustom to zipping their coats and hearts up tight. 

My mother struggled with raising up her babies, always scraping by, duct tape holding most things together, and having little support system. The small church was not unkind, but I think my mother was lonely and struggled with hormonal depression.

In the next town over, a church had a pastor who filled the pulpit for about two years. The wife was a godly woman, some years older than my mom and hence wisdom and experience under her belt, was an interior designer. She befriended my mom during a time when my mom needed it most.

I was very young, but the transformation made a lasting impression on my development.

Mrs. F came to our house with a glowing smile. She had a strong ability mixed with a soft heart. Mrs. F first decided that the wall between our tiny dining room and equally small living room must come down. It was simply too cramped. So my father, willing to support my mom’s friendship, tore down the wall.

Within a day, chairs and tables and lamps had been pulled from various parts of the house, and that living/dining room was a bright, welcoming, airy place.

Under the guidance of her new friend, my mother excelled at crafting and home decor. The 80’s was a very country-crafty style, which meant my mom (and woodcutting dad) could create almost anything they saw in a magazine. My mom wove her own baskets, sewed her own bedding and curtains and pillows, and hand painted crafts with a professional flare.

Not only did I see the house changing into something beautiful, but I saw my mom growing in confidence and purpose. It didn’t matter if they didn’t have two nickels to rub together – money simply wasn’t an issue. God always provided every need, and my mom could take what was there and make it lovely. She baked her own bread, gardened, and continually fed her growing family and many many guests in a charming home.

I was able to see my mother take a difficult phase in life, and grow into a Proverbs 31 woman. And the inward growth was reflected in the home.

Now I too am a homemaker. And beauty is important to me. For me, to create a home off of what is available (buying as little as possible) is part of the joy. My purpose is not to keep up with the trends or be materialistic or focused on temporal things. My desire is to let the grace of God shine in every area of my life, and to take what He gives me, and emphasize His goodness by accenting its attractiveness. I also associated balance, order, and harmony in a family with how it is reflected in ones surroundings.

Having words that guide your decorating are words that are the same for guiding one’s life. For example, my words are:

Purpose (function and reason)

Simplicity (not cluttered and hectic)

Beauty (finding the joy)

Inviting (making everyone feel welcome)

And those are words that I want my life to reflect as well as my home!