I just finished reading Emily Freeman's latest book, A Million Little Ways - Discovering the Art You Were Meant To Live. My mind is spinning with so many different thoughts. The best way for me to think things through is to write them down, so bear with me.
If you aren't familar with Emily's book, she basically talks about how you and I were created in the image of God to create. Create art. Now I am definitely not a painter; I cannot draw to save my life, so it is hard for me to think that I can create art. Scrapbooking (Project Life to be exact, which is the easiest thing in the world to get your pictures into albums, but I will talk about that another time) is one artsy thing that I do, but I never really saw myself as an "artist". Until one day.
My sister Melody may not even remember this, but a while ago, when we were visiting my Oma, she (that is, my Oma) asked me what I did for me. I stopped and thought. I instantly thought about what Melody did. She can paint. Draw. Sing. Play the piano. Knit. Me? Um.......still thinking....
Then Melody said, "Well you decorate your house!" That really surprised me. Yes, I decorate our house. But it's not art....is it?
That has stuck with me for a long time. As I hang a picture or place an item in a different spot on the bookshelf, I often think about what Melody said.
Then I found this book. I started reading it and came to a part in the book where Emily mentioned that when they were growing up, her sister loved being in her room, hanging up posters, making new pillows, and decorating her room. She now has a very popular home decorating blog. Emily saw this as her sister creating art. Her home is her place where she can create a place where people feel welcome instantly - whether in person or online. Her tagline is, "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful", but that's the funny thing. It is beautiful. This imperfectness. The way she uses unique items to decorate her home for her family is art.
When I read that section in the book, it resonated with me. Sometimes I wonder if what I am doing in this house is important. Like really. Are Gavin and Cameron really going to notice the new pillow or the colourful hoops on the wall? (Well, maybe Gavin. He has a great eye for those types of things! :D ) Probably Jesse could do without those so called "millions" of pillows on the couch or the globes sitting on top of the bookshelves. But as I look around my small living room and dining room, I feel happy. When I go to the thrift store and find the unique little item sitting on the shelf, it makes me feel like I am unearthing a treasure that someone didn't see the potential for.
Maybe the real question is, what do I do with this art that I call our home? I could just keep it perfect and pristine (laugh here); just for us. What good is that? What good is creating art and then hiding it away?
And so we invite people into our home (and this we are still learning how to do more often). Whether that is for a meal, a cup of coffee and a muffin, or just for a chat while kids go crazy around us, our home is a place to share. Like I mentioned earlier, a place where people can feel free to be themselves and comfortable. A place where God can enter into conversations. Friendships built. Stories shared. And that goes for you too - person on the other side of this screen! You are welcome to our home through this blog. May it be a place of encouragement and hopefully it can spark something inside of you.
