Before September of 2008, Mark’s and my definition of home was a place to raise our family, display our earthly possessions, also a mortgage, a yard to mow, weeds to pull, rotted wood to replace, and property taxes to pay; since then our definition of home has changed. We sold our house and after experiencing five moves in five years, we define home a little differently. This past June, we moved into our own home, once again. During this time, God has reshaped our desires, and redefined for us the meaning of the word home.
God required of us, the giving up of our home in order that He might have our undivided attention, and teach us several valuable lessons. In not having a home, we were able to take a step back and see our lives and hearts from God’s vantage point. Six years ago, our possessions, the location of our home, and the type of home we lived in held a prominent position in our hearts and lives; because God has redefined for us life and home, this is no longer the case. Our lives do not revolve around things and our home is no longer the prized possession it once was. Mark and I no longer see the structure or home we live in as a place to display our earthly possessions, but a place to display God’s glory.
In the culture in which we live, the definition of home has changed a great deal. For most adults, age fifty and above, home was the place we lived our entire lives. Within our homes, we had a father, a mother, two or more siblings, and usually a pet. The furnishings were simple and the decorating minimal. We shared a bathroom with our parents or our siblings, in some cases, both! We were able to roam the neighborhood without any thought of being harmed or abducted. Most of the families in our neighborhood were involved in a local church. The word stress was never heard of, and the head of the home was without a doubt the father. Divorced parents were a rarity, something seldom heard of. We had time after school for play, and most evenings the family gathered around the table for a hot meal. Life was simple and life was good.
So, what’s happened? Why has the home changed so drastically? Perhaps some of the statistics will tell us. Today’s family seldom stays in one house longer than two to five years. On an average, fathers have six to seven career changes over a lifetime, meaning multiple moves for the family. The divorce rate in 2009 was at 50%, meaning half of all marriages ended in divorce. The family unit has been redefined to include two fathers or two mothers. Addiction to alcohol, drugs, and pornography, as well as infidelity and domestic violence, are on the rise. The obtaining of bigger homes, nicer cars, and the gathering of things, are causing more couples the stress of enormous debt. So, where does that leave the future of the home?
God values the home. He established the first home. God set order within that home, charging Adam as the head and Eve as his helpmate. God established the first home to be a place in which the man and the woman would submit to God’s authoritative leadership. This pattern was the only way they would have a successful home. In Genesis, we see the results of Adam and Eve’s unwillingness to follow God’s pattern. Today we see many examples of homes that have not followed God’s established pattern, and the results are devastating.
Secrets Savored is a ministry reaching this generation of young women, teaching, admonishing, and encouraging them in their role within the home. It is our desire that these homes be structured and firmly grounded on the authoritative leadership of God. Through investing in the lives of young women, we have seen that God is allowing us to impact their homes for His glory!
Without the willingness of the older generation to come alongside this younger generation, the future of the home looks bleak. Inside this newsletter are testimonies of churches that are impacting lives and homes within their community through Secrets Savored. You will read a testimony of one couple involved in the ministry, as well as a word from a woman who looks back to the impact a ministry, such as Secrets Savored, might have had on her home, if only it had been available. We would ask that you pray for the ministry and the impact God desires for us to have on the homes of young women all around the world. We would encourage you to be a part of this ministry in whatever way the Lord would lead, investing your life in the future of the home for His glory!
Mark and Dianne