Staying home - a little bit of heaven on earth

Last month, I referenced another blogger’s entry called “Simple Living: stay home”. I have had a lot of time to think about this topic over the past several weeks since I’ve been at home about 99% of the time. It has really confirmed a lot of my previous convictions regarding the wisdom of just staying home.

In the past two weeks, I have gone away from the house only for doctor’s appointments and walks down our street. My husband has gone away a bit more for work-related meetings, going to the small nearby grocery store, trips to the pharmacy, a couple trips to Quiznos, etc. But for the most part we have been home. To be more specific, we have been at home primarily in the living room.

Now some people might think that this sounds like a curse. As part of a society that is addicted to being on the go (and, yes, I mean addicted), it sounds like something out of a horror movie to think of being AT HOME for TWO WEEKS with (almost) no one other than your spouse. We have actually found it to be wonderful.

In fact, I find myself resenting the fact that I am going to have to go to Meijer this week! I keep a very well stocked pantry, but after a couple of months of hit and miss shopping it is time to replenish my stock. But there are so many other interesting things around the house I would rather be doing! And it is so much more peaceful at home.

In fact, being “forced” to stay home has been a huge blessing. I haven’t had a Starbuck’s mocha in eight weeks. We have only been out to eat at a sit down restaurant I think three times in the past month and once it was after a doctor’s appointment and once was for my birthday. And you know what? I haven’t missed it at all!

I’m not advocating that everyone shut themselves off from everyone else. Obviously Christ would not have us be hermits. But being at home during this time has reaffirmed for me that there is actually very little we NEED to do and very few places we NEED to go when you get right down to it. Most of the rest of it is our own doing, oftentimes to our own detriment.