It is Just a House

It is just a house. It is more than that though. It is a promise kept, a wish fulfilled, a refuge.  For over 26 years we lived in someone else’s house.  We moved from place to place, apartments, houses, duplexes, wherever life or the military took us.  Always with the promise that someday, someday we would have our own house.

And now, we do.  It is ours and the finance company’s. We can paint whatever color we want to and we don’t have to fill out any forms or get permission first to do it. We can turn on the heat when we want to and not wait for X number of cold days before it is turned on.  On the other hand, if it breaks we fix it and that is okay.

We have been faced with decisions we are not accustomed to.  The youngest has been overwhelmed by choices she has never been allowed to make before. The oldest has to trust us because she is away at school but will definitely have a place in the house she hasn’t even seen. We have more room than ever but not enough storage, floors we love but not the helpful “clean this, this way” booklets we are used to being issued.  It is a challenge. It is a joy. 

Our life has changed in so many ways in the last few months.  We have moved countries. He has experienced a major job change. Our oldest went to college far enough away that she will miss her first Thanksgiving with us. Our youngest and I have returned to homeschooling after five years. We bought a house.  On the life stresses lists we are in big trouble, but we’re not. We will be okay.  We will pray a lot and maybe paint a little and settle in.

It is just a house, but together our family will make it a home.