When Haven and Home Have No Street Address... A Five Minute Friday post

I know... I totally missed last week because of vacation and this week I planned a walk, only to get home just in time to party over on Twitter --except that we had a meeting at our house that had completely slipped my mind! I blame it on Vegas. (I may be doing that for awhile!) 

This is Five Minute Friday (- a five minute timed free write) and our One Word Prompt for the day is: HAVEN

{GO}

My first instinct is to look up the official definition because, who really uses this word anymore, right? But it's so dreamy and romantic... I think we should use it all. the. time.

Definition of haven:

1:  harbor, port

2:  a place of safety : refuge

3:  a place offering favorable opportunities or conditions

I mean, come on... right? Swoon-worthy, for sure!

Earlier this week, I was thinking of what Home means to me... and I think Home and Haven are (or should be) pretty much the same thing!

I am participating in the Summer Book Club over at Grace Table and we are reading through Roots and Sky by Christie Purifoy.  One of the questions asked to get the discussion rolling was what Home means to you... this is what I typed out:

I live in the same small town where I was born and raised. I never did move away... my husband was also raised here, but he left for a few years and had just returned when we met and started dating. We raised our Only Girlie in one house... she has since grown up (and already lived at two different addresses!) I am a writer, photographer, and artist and my Honey and I are Associate Pastors of Dad's House church -which we helped plant a little over a year ago! My parents live RIGHT next door, and his are just around the corner... I always thought Home meant here... safe, secure, steady. But I am finding that Home is really wherever my people are and wherever He leads me. Home is both work and rest... full and empty... Home is where Grace and Love intertwine --and that? Well, that can happen anywhere!

The truth is... My Home and Haven are all wrapped up and intertwined with Jesus.  He is my Home... my Haven... my safe place.

"My help and glory are in God—granite-strength and safe-harbor-God— So trust him absolutely, people; lay your lives on the line for him. God is a safe place to be." Ps62:7 The Message

I realize how cliche that sounds and I know that this is something we can SAY... but not always FEEL is true.  

Oh we hope it's true! 

We hope that we can take with us that feeling and sense of home... of safety and belonging and being loved.  We walk about our days and hope we can drink that in and pour it out and some days it is easy and we can! We can do it! 

But let's be honest... there are those other days, right?

There are those days when the Truth doesn't feel so true.

Maybe we walk along unfamiliar roads in a new place all alone, or maybe everything is familiar except for us.  We are surrounded with faces we know - but we find ourselves somehow floating through life, seemingly untethered, invisible, being tossed to and fro.

I think we have all had days like that!

But God... 

"He hushed the storm to a gentle whisper, So that the waves of the sea were still. Then they were glad because of the calm, And He guided them to their desired haven (harbor)." Ps107:29-30 The Message

Truly, He is our Safe Haven and He is where our hearts find a Home!

For some crazy reason the older I get, the more I am open and hungry for adventure! The more I grow in hope and faith and love, the more I realize it's not all up to me (insert jazz hands, praise God!, and all the hallelujahs!) but I am invited in and offered to live this amazing new life! Jesus paid the price so that we could live... really live! 

So as much as I am a home body and can introvert for days... and as much as I love to entertain and have people fill this home with laughter and love... and as much as I love my people and feel that sense of completeness and Home whenever they are around... 

I am learning that Home and Haven Have No Street Address... they are more Spirit than flesh anyway, it turns out!

 {STOP} 

I know. I promised that post on Vegas... it's coming! Maybe it will be a Small Wonders post on Monday! (You just know it will be mostly photo's, yes? Because, after all... what happens in Vegas... you know!)


So what about you? 

How do you define Haven and where do you find a little piece/peace of it? 

I'd love to hear!

Linking up with Kate Motaung and the #fmfparty Community today.  Five Minute Fridays gives us the chance to dive right in and share what He puts on our hearts! Click HERE to read what others have to say about: "HAVEN"

The FMF lowdown: The gathering happens on Twitter on Thursday nights & then we write our hearts out & hit publish all over the interwebs on Thursday & Friday (& sometimes on Tuesdays!) It's where we encourage & uplift... where we share prayer requests & praise reports... where we talk food & friends & we find support & kindred hearts. It's where we are reminded that life is good & God is good & we're not alone... & then we all write for five minutes flat, a flash mob of wordsmiths letting our hearts & our fingers do the talking tapping & we hit publish before we can second guess it all away. We'd love to have you join us!

I'm also linking up for #FreshMarketFriday... how adorable is that?