Not Our Home

I just realized that a tidy little chunk of space is just on the other side of the wall behind our tub, it's a part of the front porch that is tucked around the corner and rarely gets thought about, much less used (it currently has a pile of things that need to be sold on Craigs list that I keep hoping will somehow magically disappear).  We could enlarge our bathroom and/or create a whole nother closet and/or a small craft room with that space, QUITE simply (there is space beside the tub, where a door-way could be put).  If we owned the place.  And, I would also change our back deck into a family room, so that we would have a space, other than the tiny living room, to just hang out (and put the TV so that it's not in our bedroom - since I refuse to put it in the living room) There are several changes I would make on this house, if we owned it.  But I'm kinda glad we don't, because money would be getting sunk into THIS house, instead of working toward our REAL goal, which is to own land and build a retreat center (which would, of course, include a house for us, built JUST how we want it).  Maybe it's GOOD that God has not seen fit to impress us to buy this house.  The landlord would LIKE us to... I've thought, at times, of asking him if he would like us to make some updates on the house, as it will make it more sell-able when we move out and he tries to sell it again.  But it's all so 'temporary' (we are hoping to be here for only 3-5 more years).  Maybe it's just meant to be that way... if we were thinking to stay here much longer than that, it would make sense, of course, but with it being temporary, why put money and energy into it...  it's suiting us quite well as it is, improvements would just make it 'better'.  We need to focus our energy (and money) on getting out of debt so that we can move on to our dreams...

Maybe that's kinda like us and this world.  If we think of it as our permanent home, we may (will?) get way too caught up in making it suit our purposes better.  Maybe that is not the point.  Maybe we are just passing through.  Maybe we need to focus our attention on getting to that better place that God has prepared for us.  Today, I'm hoping that I can keep that in mind.  Contentment is good, being content with what we have at the moment, but I believe God has planted within each of us a small seed of yearning, so that we will strive for something better.  I want that 'better' to be the place HE has prepared for us, rather than getting caught up in 'working' to make this life something it isn't meant to be. 

Disclaimer (you only need to read it if something about the above statement raises your hackles a bit) - I KNOW we still have to take care of this earth.  Just as we keep the light bulbs changed and the carpet cleaned, and the house tidy in general, I'm NOT talking about 'not taking care of the earth' - I'm talking about where we put our life-fource energy - the stuff that gives us a reason to live.  Of COURSE we still need to do stuff like re-cycling, and other forms of good stewardship of the earth.  But I think of those like changing the light bulbs or vacuuming the floor.   Not a remodel, to enlarge the house.  We must take good care of the 'home' we have, but let's never EVER forget that "This world is not our home."  That's all I'm saying.