1: a consecrated place
2 a (1): a place of refuge and protection
Where do I seek sanctuary? A quiet room? My small desk overlooking my back yard? A sandy beach? A compelling book? How often do I seek it in a glorious throne? I didn't spend my recent vacation reading the Bible every morning. I didn't pray every evening, unless you count "God is great" before each meal. I didn't meditate on God's word or his work in my life.
But in my own ways, it was a worshipful time. I saw God's fingerprints. I saw them in the vibrant seashells lining the shore. The shells weren't uniform, monochromatic or dull. Even single celled organisms merit beautiful mansions from our God.
I also saw humankind's fingerprints, in less lovely ways. Mixed with purple butterfly shells, orange swirled conchs and bleached white half moons were dirty plastic bottles, torn roofing and rusted metal. These are not the fingerprints I want to leave on this earth.
My middle daughter is becoming more tentative and less bold as she ages. When B was two, I used to joke that if fear came in pill format, I would give it to her because she didn't have any of her own. And while many moms might like seeing her begin to think before acting, I desperately want her to keep a spirit that is willing to take risks. I want her to stay true to who she is. I want to protect the core of her being and consecrate her soul to stay true and pure to who she is meant to be.
So while I have sanctuary in a glorious throne, I also strive to make my everyday surroundings a sanctuary. I want my home to be a sanctuary for dreams, for art, for play and for my children to blossom into who they are meant to be. I want our home and our time together as a family to be consecrated and I want us to find refuge and protection with each other.
1 comment:
Happy 5th birthday to your daughter! I've been out of the blogging loop for a couple of weeks and finally got caught up -- I think I had 11 unread posts of yours in Google Reader! :) I feel similarly about my son. While my daughter and I are very similar, my son is VERY different. That made for an extremely hard first year. I often cried to my husband saying, "I just can't figure out how to make him happy!"
He certainly has stretched me as a person and as a mom, though. I think I'm a better person because of him. He's the one who will always keep me on my toes and challenge me to adapt myself to meet him where he is.
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