Nana’s

This perspective doesn’t mean anything to you if you’ve never been inside these walls. But for anyone who has had the privilege of being in this room with these people and the network of people that comes in and out the front door, you get it. You saw this photo and knew right where I was sitting. It is very likely that your heart ached a little be in this spot, drinking coffee, scrolling casually on your phone and laughing spontaneously at something random that was said nearby.

It’s my mom and dad’s house. I grew up here. I wrestled for identity here. I found my joy in Jesus here, and then I moved away. I was ready to go, but no one warned me that it would be impossible to recreate this. When I left, I started over at the beginning. I had my heritage to build onto, but even that would need to be cut and fitted to lock into my husband’s heritage. That is a long and difficult process all it’s own. It takes time. It takes patience. It takes forgiveness. It takes consistency.

My home is a haven of joy. There’s no other place I’d rather be most of the time. But it has not always been that way. Coming from such a rich and nurturing environment set a precedent that was difficult to build up to, but the love of God is the intrinsic ribbon that linked the old to the new and brought cohesion to my marriage and family.

I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for the kindness of the Lord. He continues to give me more than I could ever ask for or even imagine.

Don’t lose hope, darlings. Stay the course. Read your Bible. Pray everyday. Do the next right thing, and watch for the blessings of God to rain on your life. They will. He loves you like that.

Lvb