i don’t think what makes a house beautiful
is only curation of items that fill space,
textures and colors arranged just right
or height of the ceiling or
the shininess of the kitchen stove.
the beauty of a house
is in the love shown to the souls within.

there is love
in the matching coffee rings on our table
where we sit with matching bleary eyes and knowing smiles
after a night of calming and comforting
the ones who need us the most.

there is love
in the pile of muffin crumbs kicked into the corner
paper scraps still scattered on the rug that curls at the corners
dishes from another meal piled on the counter
laundry left to wrinkle
as I run out the door to chase the sun with them.

there is love
in the never-matching blankets on my little girl’s bed
and the blinding bright colors in her closet
because she already knows what is
beautiful
to her.

there is love
in the mud clods that fall out of his boots
when he comes in from working
for us.

there is love
in the lovely mugs that sit in my sink
after kindred souls sit on the hand-me-down couch
and we say “me too” lots of times and
these four walls feel like safety
for all the thoughts that need to spill out.

there is love
in the paintings that hang on our wall
a little uneven because i never measure
anything
ever
and I smile and
I feel the love of my Creator when I see
those little bits of story and light I carefully chose
because He carefully chose and set into me
the particular way I see beauty
so I can see HIM more clearly.

there is love
simple and constant, poured out like rain
in the pile of freshly-washed pajamas
cinnamon bread perfuming every room
tiny footprints through a just-mopped kitchen
sun dancing on hardwood
blossoms opening on the counter.

and even as I see that constant love
I have seen and known
that a home and a story that make sense on paper
is not always God’s best choice for us
& my capacity may not allow me
to care for any place the way I wish to
but i am always
always
given more than I deserve.

wherever we live
the love that is beauty
is a covenant written on our hearts.
He is here and
we are together
and we don’t need a single thing
to belong
in the home where we are.

Image via Pinterest

Posted by Megan

Hey there, I’m Megan! You can usually find me dreaming up a new project with my husband, trying to figure out homeschool with my two girls while my little boy explores the pots and pans cabinet, or excavating a pile of laundry with coffee in my hand. We live in New England and our dog is named Moose.

Connect: @lilac.and.sparrow