Home is where the heart is

Only quite recently has the phrase "Home is where the heart is" had significant meaning to me.  I heard it oft times being repeated but never paid any attention to it.
As I sat in a bus on my way to wherever I was on my way to(hol' on deh, how unoo so faas?), the following thought developed in my mind.
I thought of a sermon I'd heard recently of how home represents a place of solace, peace, rest, comfort, shelter and relaxation.  I pondered many experiences I'd had  and how unsettled I'd been.
I reviewed friendships I'd had and how amidst the many acquaintances I had entertained in some way or form, there were only very very few with whom my soul found absolute rest.
I challenged my system of beliefs and found it to fall short of tenets that would yield more health and vitality.
I looked into everything and questioned myself honestly, "Am I at home?" "Have I found MY peace?" "Is my soul at rest?" "Does my heart and I dwell at the same address?"
Living takes the life out of you.  It is demanding.  Am I wearing a front, and if so, do I wear it so often that I've lost touch with who I really am?
Home.  I long for home-a spiritual place where I am undisturbed, where I am unmolested, where my thoughts, words and actions are congruent, a place where I am whole.
I encourage us to take whatever steps that may be necessary in order to find your way home.  You may have to lose associations that you thought were impossible to sever ties with-family members, friends, co-workers, church family.  It may mean you may have to connect with an entirely new support system or none at all.  It could mean a season of alone time.  In any case, 'home' must be sought with all the diligence that can be mustered.

I read of a story where a man had married a wonderful woman.  She was developed in every way imaginable.  She was smart, focused, had a booming career, did all her wifely duties with distinction and on top of that was incredibly attractive.  He cheated.  In spite of all that, he cheated with someone in no wise comparable to his wife.  When asked why he'd ever concede to do something so ghastly, he simply responded that he could be himself around this half-witted woman who was anxious to hear his stories and his ideas.  She listened in awe as he shared his hopes and dreams for the future.  She had no college degree, she was not industrious, she was not bright but she had the graces that brought him 'home'.
I am not justifying cheating nor am I glorifying the motives behind vices, this ought however to be taken into consideration, that we all have an intrinsic desire to be loved, accepted, honoured, admired, and welcomed into fellowship.  This provides an insight into why many do the things onlookers view as absurd.

People sometimes lead reckless lives in search of 'home'-searching for a place to belong.  It may lead some down the futile and fruitless road of promiscuity or addictions of varying sorts.  When we fail to come into that union of heart and home it sends us in an erratic chase to fill the void with meaningless activities.  These activities may not even appear to be meaningless; they may take the form of church responsibilities, jobs, get the drift?  They're meaningless when they don't meet the intended purpose but is used as a cover which does not yield satisfaction or fulfillment.  They're meaningful only when they add purpose and direction and bring us in union with ourselves.

My prayer for us all is that we journey home.  We do not need to sell ourselves short or compromise in order to be accepted.  Home is where you should feel secure.  By now you know that home is not necessarily a physical place, but a place of security, protection, beauty, realness, truth and soulfulness.  There's no need for make-up or the ritualistic observance of protocols.  It's a place of you-safe, happy and complete.

To all my blog readers who have contributed to my life in such a way as to make me feel at 'home', I say THANK YOU!

You are valued and appreciated...

I am your Jodi