I Have a Dream . . .

"The path of righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
growing ever brighter till the full light of day" (Proverbs 4:18).

I have a dream that's been growing for years ...
Though a bit dim at times, it's now glowing clear and warm as the lamp I'd like to be.

During senior year of college, I wrote something titled "What Kind of Light Shall I Be?" We're all lights of some kind, and different lights suit different purposes. You've got:

Spotlights for    ?   
     (making someone or something stand out).

Flashlights for    ?   
     (finding your way in the dark).

Flourescent lights that    ?   
     (meet industrial needs and give people headaches).

And many more.

What kind of light are you, or what kind do you desire to be?

I wish to be a lamp, in a home.

Yes, I know this isn't a lamp, but it's what I had among
my photos and shows the warm welcome I desire to give!

If you think about it, a lamp's light is rather different than others'. Instead of being strong or bold or even harsh (like fluorescents), it's soft and warm, glowing and welcoming. It bids the weary to enter and be refreshed, bids the lonely to come on in and find themselves enveloped in family.

My director recently quoted Edith Schaeffer as saying, "A strong family is like a refreshing, green oasis in the middle of a parched desert" (my paraphrase). Leon also showed us that God not only calls individuals, but He also calls families to––as a close-knit unit––fulfill His purposes on earth.

That's the kind of family I desire to have, and that's why I want to be like a lamp in a home.

My dream is clearer now than ever before, and I can practically picture my home of purpose. I'd like it to be close to the kids and teens I am close to, a place of refuge they can come to in a storm. When thunder and lightning burst in their homes, forcing them to see and hear and experience unspeakable things, I want them to know that a lamp glows for them nearby.

I want these extended family members to come knock on my door and know they'll be welcomed inside, drawn into a safe and warm circle of loving light. Perhaps that front room would have a fireplace or old-fashioned cookstove ready to warm cold hands or fill hungry mouths with simmering soup.

Perhaps a big black lab would lie on a braided rug, wagging his tail and offering the quiet solace of a four-footed friend. (By the way, I CANNOT imagine a haughty cat EVER offering such solace, but perhaps I would one day allow a feline around as a prime example of the independent arrogance we should never imitate. No . . . actually, I don't think THAT'S even reason enough!)

Now let's enter the kitchen. Can you see warm, yellow sunlight spilling through sheer curtains and welcoming one and all to sit at the pine table? I see "my girls" coming over to cook together, baking cookies and bread and talking about life (and boys, of course)! And "my boys" . . . I see them sitting at the table, talking and laughing (and eating, no doubt)! And my friends . . . I see them coming over for game nights and conversation and prayer for the kids and teens we love.

Somewhere in the home is a room dedicated to prayer. It might have a window seat looking into a backyard filled with beauty to offer rest to the soul. And there's a tree inside, too, painted on the prayer room wall, like the tree at my friend Julie's house. The tree and its wide leaves stand cream-colored against a red-orange wall, and on the leaves will be written the names of all the young people whose names have already been written on my heart. I'll invite them to write their own names there, as a visual reminder that they are part of our family tree and will always have a place there. Two or three comfy chairs will rest in that room, ready to host heart-to-heart conversations with God or each other. Soft music will be ready to play in the background, inviting listeners to be still and know that He is God.

Besides cozy rooms for my own family, I'd like to have a couple extra for those who need a safe place to stay for awhile. Each will be warm and welcoming, and perhaps "my girls" will help me decorate them.

My parents have given me a great example of trusting and sticking
with God through the storms. And I think this picture of my dad
and youngest two brothers captures the essence of family affection and joy!

Oh, and let's not forget porches. Out front might be a porch swing or chairs on which to sit and talk and greet the neighbors, an art nearly lost outside of the South. And out back would be a wide deck or patio for outdoor parties.

Oh yes, I like this dream! It's not a house that makes a home, but the people in it and the way they relate to one another. Lord, may this home be filled with Your deep peace, abiding joy and unswerving love. When troubles come (as they surely will), help us trust and stick right with You through the storm.

What is your dream? What vision has God been building into your heart and life? How can your family be His oasis in the parched desert of life?