Thursday, May 19, 2016

The Interiorista: May I Come In?

Dear Home,
May your walls be full of joy,
your windows reflect God's light,
your floor make music at the sound of warm feet
and your doors be always open to bless others.

I can describe myself as an organized person. I find joy in a decluttered home and in the smell of clean. I feel a sense of peace and serenity in space and order. This is who I am, how I'm wired. My mom is this way, and that is how her mom was before her.

To the outsider, my home might appear harmonious and put together, or it might look stiff and uptight.

Maybe you are different than me... You like to give freedom to the stuff in your home, and you find a sense of coziness in plates piling in your sink or in the stains on your floor.

To the outsider, your home might look energetic and cozy, or it might appear disorganized and stressful.

You and I are different people, created by the same loving and wise God, who have unique talents and strengths, as well as struggles and weaknesses.

If you come to my house, you could think I spend all my time cleaning and organizing instead of playing with my kids. And when I go to your house, I could think your favorite piece of furniture is the couch! When we compare each other in this way, we never win. We can feel superior and get proud or judgmental and put others down, but either way, our thoughts won't honor God.

The things we do throughout our day are determined by a lot of different factors. Our personalities, the way we've been raised, our life styles, the things we like, etc., have a big impact  on how we handle our homes. You and I have different priorities. We give different levels of importance to the things we do at home. And that is ok! This is why I am me and you are you, but I think we lose sight of the  bigger picture when we get caught up on these differences...

The main purpose of our homes should always be to represent a place where family and guests can feel welcomed, comfortable and loved.The rest are details, preferences, individuality.

I'd like to say this to myself and to you. Let's embrace our differences and lift each other up as fellow homemakers instead of putting each other down. Let's try to stop comparing and just reflect about what has significance. It doesn't matter what my house look like or what my priorities are.What's really important is that you feel at home when you are at my home.

How do you want your home to be remembered?

Decorated or not, I want mine to be a God honoring, loving, hospitable home because that is what truly matters.


       XOXO,

      Angelica



8 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is so well written and delivers such grace and wisdom. Proud of you my friend!!

Sarah :)

Angelica said...

I appreciate your kind words, friend!

Unknown said...

LOVE this!! Wise and wonderful and so very true!! Thank you!! :)

Rachel and Hans said...

This is a wonderful post! Appreciate it very much!

Angelica said...

Nancy Gritter and Rachel and Hans, Thank you for your sweet comments!

Unknown said...

Un articulo muy interesante amiga, me gusta esta reflexión! Sigue así!!!

Anonymous said...

I Love this post! - I am a professional organizer and my home "walks the talk". When someone expresses defensive comments or blames other household members whenever they see my work or my home, once i come out of what feels like a short fog of confusion, it makes me sad, a simple expression of appreciation or compliment, somehow turns into something defensive and negative. Though their home is not my taste or style, I genuinely appreciate the difference because it represents what I love about them and yes, it's opposite of me! How boring life would be if we were all alike. I don't exaggerate when I say that every other guest has said my home feels so cozy and warm and "home".
like you, it is my desire for people to feel at the latter: @ home, loved and peaceful - and it is truly part of how I serve God.

Angelica said...

I love reading what you guys have to say! Thanks for your comments!