Lent: Homes

This past week’s calendar focused on refugees --- its amazing to me that over 26 million people have had to flee their homes because of violence and unrest in their countries.  These are the people living in tent shelters that we occasionally glimpse on the television. 

I vividly remember a song by one of my favorite composers, Michael Kelly Blanchard, called Ethiopia.  He wrote it after watching a late night telethon for starving children in --- Ethiopia.  Its poignant and heartbreaking.  You can download and listen to it here.  And you can listen to some of Mike's other music for free here.  (YouTube is a wonderful thing sometimes --- but Ethiopia isn't on youtube)

These are people without a home.  That’s the part that is most disturbing to me.  Especially since I am so focused on home and making our home a nicer place to be. 

So, my challenge this week is to really appreciate my home.  I want to be thankful for all of the aspects of my home (especially when I’m sweeping or vacuuming or doing some other chore that I find to be drudgery)  I need to remember that somewhere in the world there is a woman who would LOVE to be sweeping a floor in her own home. 

This is especially important as I begin to decorate the house for spring and for Easter.  Its so easy to get caught up in the decorations and the frou-frou of it all.  I do all of that because I have a home.  My work decorating for Easter is a reflection of my gratitude for that home --- more so this year.