Stripped

I had a rock solid childhood until I was twelve. It really was idyllic. We lived on a cul-de-sac with twelve houses. There were twenty-something of us kids. We would play outside all day and came home when the street lights came on. We’d bounce from house to house. Our parents knew we were taken care of throughout the day by this village. My house was small but perfect. We had a giant backyard that I lived in when I wasn’t out front or at a friend’s house. I had two tree houses back there and loved them. It really was something special.

When I was twelve, we moved to a bigger “better” house. No longer did I have my village nor did my parents have the comforts of a house they could manage and afford. My house no longer served as a comfortable place to be. There was a lot of tension and stress. You could feel it in the air. We ended up moving from the bigger better house because it became too much for my parents. After that, we jumped from here-to-there during my high school years. Home was not steady.

As an adult, my husband and I have created a special space in our home. I don’t think we did this consciously but, because we both came from homes that didn’t always provide that comfort, subconsciously we created a space where we all felt like we could breath. I love our home. It is a place of refuge for all of us. We can come here and feel safe, secure, and restful. Every home we have lived in together has been our sanctuary; an escape from the stress of this world.

It’s funny, (well, it’s not really funny) that each home we have lived in has had some sort of issue. Even though our homes have been our reprieve, they haven’t come without their challenges. Do you have those friends that seem to always have the same kind of problem? It doesn’t matter when their issues begin, the problem seems to always be the same. That’s us. Our “problems” tend to reside with our home. Random frustrations that keep us from really sinking into this space and forgetting about everything else.

I woke up in the middle of the night: startled awake. There was no reason for it, I just was awakened and bolted up. Once I came to my senses, I laid back down to go back to sleep. Of course my mind began racing with all kinds of thoughts. Why does this happen? Seriously. Anyway, one word came to mind in my crazy middle of the night thinking. That word was stripped.

I realized that it is really easy for me to get ultra comfortable in my home and with my kids. They are my safe house and I will dig in deep in order to feel safety there. The reason I keep having frustrations with our homes is because God needs me to stay connected to Him not my home. He is stripping me of all the things I hold so tightly with a closed fist. My house is getting packed up and will sit empty while we renovate. We will stay in this empty home with our clothes, mattresses on the floor, and a functioning kitchen. Contractors will move in and out most likely frustrating the heck out of me. My kids, my babies, leave for sleep-away camp; two for the first time.  My husband has some business trips during all the crazy as well.

So, there I will be stripped of my safety and my comfort. Anxiety will be knocking on my door (probably pounding). A breakdown will be right around the corner if I am not careful. But, here’s the thing, sometimes being stripped is the best thing for me. I look back on seasons where things I loved were taken away and see such a deep connection to God. It is in these moments that I am desperate for Him; when nothing else can get me through but my cries to Him.

So, I will rest in this season of stripping. I know this isn’t wasted space. This is a time to make me better and an opportunity to put God back at the front of the line. He is my comfort. Not my home. Not my family. He is my stability. Not having all the furniture in its place. He is my happiness. My kids aren’t responsible for that.

Maybe you’ve been stripped of something and it feels like hell. May I challenge you to see this season as a renewing of your soul; a time to recenter yourself on the things that truly matter. I want to remember that eternity is coming and that is what I am working towards. Not perfection in this world. If I strive for that, I will always be disappointed because it will never come.

Don’t be afraid of the stripping. Don’t try and fight it. This can be one of the best seasons of your life.

 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13

Love & Blessings,

Meg