Moving Glory

It's official. Drew and I moved into our first home on Monday! I want to scream it from the rooftops! We are renting a beautiful little home right outside of Atlanta and are so thankful that the Lord led us to this place. There is plenty of space for the two of us and a huge backyard for the pups. I don't think that I've ever been this excited about packing and unpacking boxes in my life. It's going to be like the best Christmas morning there ever was as we unwrap our boxes that have been awaiting us in storage. This is the first time in a year and a half that we will have a space of our own and grateful doesn't begin to describe the provision that the Lord has made for us.

Home has always been a place I treasure, a place of comfort and refuge, a place to build community and also to rest. Home has been where my husband is, whether it is in a one bedroom apartment in the suburbs, a rural village in a foreign country or right outside a bustling city. But we have never lived where we've had our house completely to ourselves until now.

My idea of what home means has changed drastically from when Drew and I were first married. Nearly three years ago (we can still say we are newlyweds right?), I wanted everything to be perfect in our home. As much as I desired for our home to radiate the things I've listed above, I also wanted it to be pretty (let's be honest, who doesn't?). But there were also times when I realized that I was allowing my identity to be wrapped up in my home and how others perceived it. Living in China, I still fought these urges to keep a clean, cute home and didn't decorate as we were living on support, but felt the urge to "nest" more than ever.

I don't think that we are called to live this way. Just a quick glance at the story of Mary and Martha is enough to convince me that my purpose is not to become a slave to my house. I don't think that my house will look like the cover in a magazine or as perfect as a photo from one of my Pinterest boards because I want my husband, my pups and my future children to live life in our home. I'm not saying that I'm not going to decorate the heck out of it and enjoy the process immensely but I am saying that I don't want to fall victim to the lie that my home has to look picture perfect all of the time. As much as I will enjoy making our house a home, I don't want to lose the perspective that I have gained. I think that Myquillyn, over at The Nester, has incredible insight and truly sums my feelings perfectly:

I cannot wait breathe life into this home. I cannot wait to host dinners with friends, spend lazy Saturday mornings making breakfast and lounging around with Drew, curl up and read on the couch and enjoy having my pups at my heels. I'm so excited to be eight minutes away from our church, and just a few minutes further away to my office. I desire so many things for this house and I'm so thankful to be in this place and soak up this moment. Any of you feel the same? Any renters have advice to share?