Trading Fancy for Freedom: Staying in our Starter Home

We bought this house in January 2007. It is what the real estate market would call a "starter house", a 900 sq.ft 1924 bungalow. We purchased this home when I thought I was pregnant was ONE baby, not twins, and we planned to flip the home in one year. The housing market crash of 2008 and following National Recession had different plans. 

I am a walking contradiction. If you’ve known me long enough, you’ve heard me complain about my “tiny” house, but you’ve probably heard me say how I also love my house. This house is my constant battle to learn contentment. Every time I think I have it, it slips away, and I get to learn it all over again.

 I have no right to complain, but I do. All. The. Time. I complain about the tiny eat in kitchen and no dining area. I complain about the small bedrooms and old floor plan. I complain about the lack of dining room & the sometimes sketchy neighbors.

I have had a love/hate relationship with this house, but it is my manna. My every morning reminder than God provides.

Yesterday in homeschool we studied the manna God provided the Hebrews in the desert. I tried to describe to the boys how the food of Egypt was no more nourishing than the sweet honey-flavored Manna God provided, it was just fancier, with spices and variety. As I read the Egyptians' groans over missing the food of Egypt, it was easy to judge them. How could they not be content with the sweet simple manna, when the fancy food of Egypt came with the high price of their freedom?

Then it hit me right between the eyes, how many times have I given up my freedom for “fancy”? My want for fancier clothes, house, or cars could easily lead us into slavery of debt. A want for a fancier, more exciting life could also easily lead me into slavery to sin, seeking pleasure and identity in anything other than the simple & nourishing life with which God has blessed me.

When many people lost their homes during the Great Recession, we were able to keep this small house because we could afford the small mortgage payments.  Smaller house payments meant I could stay home when I felt the calling to homeschool, and we could live on a one-income (a small social worker income). We also found our beloved church family only a few minutes from this house.

I’m pretty sure if the Hebrews read my post comparing manna in the hot desert  to my little modern 1st world house, a house filled with a variety of food and all the creature comforts of the modern world, they would probably throw up a little in disgust.  I am spoiled beyond belief, almost disgustingly so. Lord, never let me forget the sweet and simple miracle that is my home, my marriage, and my family.

Lord, never let me give up my freedom for the fancy.

Perspective

Sunset in the front yard of my small house.

Better a dry crust with Peace and quiet, than a house full of feasting, with strife.  

Proverbs 17:1

 I grew up in a 2,700 square foot home. It had 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, living room, dining room, family room, 2 and half car garage filled with new cars, all new furniture, and a cable TV in every room.  The pantries were filled with name brand foods, and walk-in closets of always new clothes. It was a house of "feasting". But that house of feasting also came with a much strife; filled with arguments over money, expensive addictions, loudness of yelling, discontent, and abuse.  Feasts are not inherently wrong, but there was no gratitude for the feast, only a want for more, newer, better. The effort was put into maintaining the "feast", not in seeking healthy relationships. The good thing about the TV in every room was we were able avoid each other in our havens.

My current home is 910 square feet.  It has 2 bedrooms and 1 bath, and a garage too small to park either of our cars. Our table in the eat-in kitchen and living room couch  are just big enough to fit my husband and I with our two school aged sons, as long as we don't mind knocking our elbows every once in a while.   We all learn patience as we share a bathroom.  We learn closeness as we cuddle together for family movie night in front of the 15 year old TV.  We are not exactly quiet, but it is the good loud of shared laughter. I smile as I hear the boys playing together in their shared bedroom that is connected to the living room. It is not perfect, we get each other's nerves like any family, but we seek to always love each other the best we can.  There is a peace in the gratitude.  To the world's standard of luxury, we may a "dry crust", but we have more than enough.  I would not trade my  peaceful "dry crust" for the strife-filled"feasting" I grew up in anything for in this world.

Choosing Gratitude

I Praise the Lord for giving me his eyes today to see his Blessings in ABUNDANCE today.
I pray I see them tomorrow.....

I am thankful for the dishes because it means my kids ate two full meals already today and it's only noon.

I am thankful for dirty bathtub because it means my kids have clean enough water to take bath indoors.

I am thankful for my overweight thighs because it means I have never been truly starving a day in my life.

I am thankful for my stretch marks because it means I carried healthy twins full term. (PRAISE JESUS!)

I am thankful for my small house because it means my family will always be close:)

I am thankful for the heat advisory because it reminds me I have clean running water to keep me and my children cool.

I am thankful for the piles of laundry because it means I have more than one set of clothes.

I am thankful for my old dishwasher because it means I have indoor plumbing and don't have to walk a mile to get water.

I am thankful for the messy office desk because it means my business is thriving.

Thankful for a tight budget because it means we can praise God for His repeated Provision.

I am thankful for the dozen matchbox cars on my living room floor because it means my kids have toys.

I am thankful for the messy garage full of tools because it means I have a husband who is handy.

I am thankful for a messy van because it means we have a working vehicle.

I am thankful for the pencil drawing on my wall because it means my kids love to write, and have access to art supplies

I am thankful for an uncleaned toilet because it means we have a safe sewer system that so many countries lack.

I am thankful for the spiderwebs in the corner because it remind me me that I don't have to live outside with dangerous animals.

I am thankful for politicians who argue over debt ceilings & taxes, because it reminds me that I love in a country where we can accomplish a change of power without bloodshed every 4 or 8 years.

I am thankful for the pain I have experienced because the wisdom it brought.

I am thankful for being hurt because I get to see how hard forgiveness is, and appreciate the forgiveness we are given through Christ's Blood that much more.






Please add something that you are thankful for in the comments.  Let's all be PollyAnna together!