When I think about creating a Home Sanctuary for my family, it is sometimes hard to picture what that should look like. Caught up in finding matching socks and reheating leftovers, it feels far, far away from my world!
I'm reminded of the sanctuaries I do know about: A wildlife sanctuary, for example, which protects certain types of animals and plants in a carefully monitored environment. Experts choose a suitable location for the animals they are caring for: you wouldn't see a penguin in a desert habitat, or an armadillo in a jungle! They find the right location which provides the best opportunity for the species to flourish. It is important to have the right foods available, and the correct natural protection from elements and predators. Nothing goes in or out of the sanctuary without the knowledge of the game warden. Everything inside is given what it needs to grow strong and healthy.
Another type of sanctuary is the kind that is given to someone in need. It is refuge and safety from a hostile situation. People often seek asylum from friendly governments, when their own governments try to harm them for their political beliefs. They are given rights and safe harbor inside the borders of the host country. That is a beautiful thought.
The coolest kind of sanctuary is a holy place, or temple. When I imagine a church sanctuary, I like to think about my grandfather's picturesque white Lutheran church in Nebraska, which he pastored years ago. Even as a small child, I was awed by the stained glass windows, and intrigued with the altar, pulpit and baptismal. It did seem like God was there, and it made me want to know Him.
I like to try and apply what I know about sanctuaries to my own home. My little shelter is no utopia, and you know what, it probably shouldn't be. We are a bunch of flawed people working it out together. Toothpaste gets squeezed the wrong way and towels never get hung straight. Homework gets left until the last minute, and some people think drinking milk from the jug is just sooo funny. (It's not). But sometimes just meeting the physical needs of my family provides the sanctuary they need from a hostile world outside. Sometimes just knowing that a batch of chocolate chip cookies says "I love you" in a way that no hug ever could, is enough to create sanctuary for a certain 12 year old boy. Come to think of it, cookies provide sanctuary for pretty much everyone in this house! Sometimes sanctuary is found in a football game and nachos for Tom, and a Sunday afternoon nap for me. It is what give us pleasure within these walls, and a sense of belonging. A sense of being loved and taken care of. Now, that's pretty good!
Rachel Anne