Warm Greetings this Cold January, from Lägom Landing!
Our little blue double-wide has been full to overflowing with various “human beans” since well before Christmas. The girls (Peach and Rose) have been home from college, and our nephew Owen has been living with us. Son Jake has crashed here after working late on the house. At times we’ve had up to seven people spending the night in this tight space, plus we’ve been providing lunch for 4-8 workers every day.
In the midst of this “crowding”, I’ve been thinking a lot about “making room”. Thoughts have been bouncing around in my head since Christmas. Ironically, with the mad rush of building, I haven’t “made room” to get the thoughts out to ya’ll. Perhaps one needs to fall in the trap he or she intends to reflect on before being qualified to write down those reflections!
As Christmas approached, I was really in touch with the Innkeeper who turned away Mary and Joseph. How could we find a place for our nephew in need, with the girls coming home in this tiny house? The right to my space is part of my American consciousness.
Winter mornings , as the “beans” lay sleeping, the illusions of this thinking began to unravel as I looked into the BIG LOVE of God found in Christ.
In a world that found little room for him (even in his birth!), he was always making space. For an outcast woman at a well, for an unclean woman bleeding for years, for a Roman soldier whose little boy was dying, for Zacchaeus, the tax collector, lowest of the low, disdained by all.
In the gospels we see Jesus in the midst of his hectic day dropping everything to care for us vulnerable creatures.
Jesus is the clearest picture of God that we have, and what I find in him is room. I love Eugene Peterson’s interpretation of Colossians 1 in The Message: “So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding.” Christ’s life reflected this truth. I find when I am out of touch with the loving space offered to me, the “I don’t have time, I don’t have the room” lies begin to assert themselves.
The Message again, from Romans 5: “We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that He has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.”
In the midst of this build and the little crowded house, I’ve experienced that spacious love walking across the field seeing the fragile beauty of snow-frosted branches. I’ve found it in Owen’s unique perspective on life that he brings to our house. Rose’s creative energy and deep wisdom in caring for others. Peach’s willingness to try new adventures and meet new people. Jake’s strength and enthusiasm for life and boundless energy. That which I thought might crowd me, has expanded me.
So my questions to you this month are who or what do you need to make space for? How can you experience those “open spaces”, that “roominess”? For each of us the picture will look different. For some it might be time to say no to people to create healthy room for ourselves. Have we taken time to walk out into winter’s wonder? Perhaps it is time to “open our doors” to a friend or relative who has hurt us in the past? There is plenty of room for us to explore.
We are in the process of building room for up to 12 or so people. The creative and crafty juices are a-flowin’, and it is Good. Plumbing, heat, and electric are completed. The house has been drywalled, taped, and painted. Hardwood flooring and tile have been installed. We have a beautiful Red Birch kitchen built and installed by an incredibly talented crew of local Mennonites. With all of their technology used in the design process, I took to calling them the “Modernites”. After they left last week, we found a hand-printed sign on a piece of birch plywood in front of the house:
“Kitchens by the Modern Knights. Call 1-800-Holy Spirit”
Laurel and I laughed so hard.
We are now staining and painting trim, the doors are being hung and we’re pretty much on schedule for a mid to late February move-in date!
Programmatically speaking, we are presenting to more groups and churches, and also receiving our first donations, after receiving incorporation from NY State in early November.* Our Board has met three times, and we are grateful for their great guidance and support. Formally-printed brochures should be ready soon, and a website up as well.
Thank you for making room for reading this today, and for your prayers, support, and love!
Peace and love and awareness to all,
Rock
*We are grateful for everyone’s support given in many different forms. If you’d like to send a check (realizing, unfortunately, that your donation will not be tax-deductible until we receive our 501(c)(3) status), you can make checks out to Lagom Landing, and send to
7966 Reeds Corners Rd.
Dansville, NY 14437.
No comments:
Post a Comment