"Miss Mills replied, on general principles, that the Cottage of content was better than the Palace of cold splendour, and that where love was, all was."
---from David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens
What image comes to mind with the word "home"? The gathering of family? The warmth of a cozy fire? Comfort food? Old fashioned memories? In these times, perhaps you think of the stress of a mortgage, or the difficulty in maintaining and beautifying what you have.
The more I hear about the housing crisis in our country, the more I think about the real meaning of home. So many people are suffering. So many are on the verge of losing their homes or sadly have experienced the pain of foreclosure.
For those who are in agony today, wondering what they are going to do about a home, we need to pray and ask the Lord to strengthen each one and meet their needs. After all, home is more than a house. Home means security and comfort. It is about love and family. It is about a dream of ownership and caregiving, of passing down a legacy to our children and grandchildren.
One of my favorite scriptures comes from the book of Jeremiah. It says, " 'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future' " (29:11). God has placed in all of our hearts a desire for a resting place, a home of our own, where we can be ourselves, rest, and be loved for who we are.
I pray for God's blessings on all today. I want to be less focused on materialism and more focused on having joy and thankfulness with what I have, my own cottage of content.
My own humble abode. It looks pretty shabby in this picture. It was taken before we got our new roof and added a little landscaping. Here are some more possible "cottages of content":
Thank you for visiting my blog! I really enjoyed reading your posts and look forward to reading future ones. I haven't read "David Copperfield" since I was a teenager and did not remember that passage you referenced. I do love the phrase you chose...Cottage of Content.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite quotes about home is: " Where is home? Home is where the heart
can laugh without shyness. Home is where
the heart's tears can dry at their own pace.
~Vernon Baker"
First of all, let me say that your blog header is the perfect picture of a "content home." I feel the warmth and would like nothing more than to come inside for a nap! Earlier in the week, I went to visit one of my elderly neighbors. She is a dear friend of mine and upon entering her home, she was delighted to show me everything, and I do mean everything. The thing that struck me the most, was the not only the physical warmth of the house, but the familial warmth of the home. Her husband built her that house, and while quite small and simple by the world's standards, I could live the rest of my days in such simplicity.
ReplyDeleteThe older I get and the more I move (we're a clergy family), the more content I am with less to drag along with me. Mercy...four kids are enough.
Thanks for visiting my blog. You're always welcome!
peace~elaine