Cultivating Peace In Our Place

I was reading Sunday's column written by my favorite columnist, Sharon Randall as she talked about moving.  She had just moved from their 100 year old home withe long, steep staircases to a one level 20 miles away.  She said her knees were complaining from doing all the steps and she knew it was time to let go of a home that was filled with memories, and move to a place with a view of the mountains and all new memories waiting to be made.

We have moved 23 times in 50 years, with the longest we have ever lived being right here in our present home.  We purchased it 15 years ago this July and renovated it for a few months before moving in to it October 9th of 2004.  Before that we lived in apartments, a studio, a small airstream trailer, and a few houses, several of which were parsonages.  I can go back and place myself in each one, looking around the rooms in my mind.  Each place bringing up memories, both good and bad.

I have been reading a book by Christie Purifoy called "Placemakers" where she talks of each home becoming a place of comfort, beauty and peace when we are intentional about cultivating just that.  She believes God invites us to be placemakers in our homes, our communities, our environment.  A few years ago Christie and her family moved to a big, red brick home that was built in the late 1800's.  They have been restoring this old Pennsylvania piece of history while making it a place of comfort, beauty, and peace both inside and outside.  She sees it almost as an obligation, certainly a spiritual practice to take the houses we live in and make them a place we like to come home to.

With all the places we have lived I have noticed that when we move in, we can almost feel the peace or lack there of that permeates the walls, the furnishings, the home itself. Maybe at times we brought the peace or lack of it with us, other times it welcomed us in.  One of our children lives on a farm that has been in her husband's family for generations.  The first time I visited their place I was drawn to the front porch.  When we go there, one of my favorite things is to get up before everyone else and head to the porch to view a sunrise, or take in the smells of the surrounding cultivated earth.  I also get a deep sense of peace that I suspect comes from those who lived there and farmed the land long before this generation.  I cannot quite explain what I feel there, but I am always drawn back to it.  It settles my soul for reasons that remain a mystery.

Sharon Randall said that moving is not for sissies and she is probably right.  It is costly in more ways than one.  Starting over is never easy and embracing change can be challenging.  We have moved so often, and each house had its own personality.  Each house gave off its own vibes so to speak.  We know we will move again, our present house being too big with too many stairs.  I have not always liked living here with the radon and so many years of sickness being part of our memories.  Yet we love the area we live in, but .............some day we will need to let go, embrace change, and make memories in a new place. When the time comes to leave our home with it's own front porch, I only hope that we are able to find a place where we are drawn to a front porch that gives us inspiration and welcomes us to cultivate peace, comfort, and beauty as a placemaker.