I remember a lot of homes through the years…
It seemed each had a favorite “hang” spot where everyone gathered. For some a living room was the center of the house, others gathered around a kitchen table, even still, others would gather on the patio or in the garage to play games like ping pong or pool.
The TV has become the center of many homes these days. Big, flat panels of entertainment with the requisite attention shown constantly to those programs that seldom challenge the brain.
Still, depending on the weather and the time of the year, the center of the house was where the heat was.
Having lived in Alaska for 16 years and enjoying a fire place for a portion of those years, I remember the joy of an open fire. Crackling wood. Smell of the burning wood. Smoke wisping around the edges of the logs as it climbed up the chimney. And, if the fire was just right you could feel the heat emanating from the embers into the colder room around you.
In Instagram I began following a posting about cabin life in Alaska. Recently, they posted a larger picture that I’ve included here with the comment that their fire is the center of life in their cabin. They share the dangers and needs of fire in a place where there is no electricity… You may find their account interesting. Check them out here.
What’s the center of your home? I would much rather set around a kitchen table, ready to have a good cup of coffee and play a family game. We grew up around a huge table entertaining so many over the years. My parents played 42, a domino game with trumps and bids. Both grandparents played. Aunts. Uncles. Cousins. Eventually, it became the main challenge. As our family grew, then other games were enjoyed – Pictionary, Crying Rummy, Wahoo with homemade boards, straight dominoes…. The list is endless depending on attendees.
It was the center of our home that God spoke to me through his Word. After midnight. Everyone in bed. Home late from church. The bible opens to scriptures that were the source of two choir songs we had sung that night.
The center of the home is where the spirit of God should be. It’s not a desk, or room, or heat source. It’s where I find the source of life. Which scriptures? Glad you asked…
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. (Psalms 30:5 KJV)
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. (Psalms 37:25 KJV)
This has been the center of my life with God. Joy in the morning. Never forsaken.