A House Is Not A Home

            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home (Not to be confused with House)

(My thanks to Wikipedia for the picture of this beautiful house-read its description in the link)

The song A House is Not A Home,

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/luthervandross/ahouseisnotahome.html/ is so popular and it has been sang many times over.  It is the title of my post today because I want to define a house from a home.  Click on the link above to the definition given by wikipedia(with my thanks and my acknowledgement) for it.

A clip from that definition:

"Sometimes, as an alternative to the definition of "home" as a physical locale ("Home is where you hang your hat"), home may be perceived to have no physical location—instead, home may relate instead to a mental or emotional state of refuge or comfort. Popular sayings along these lines are "Home is where the heart is" or "You can never go home again".

Therefore a home is a state of mind, not a particular physical place as opposed to a "house."  A state of belonging wherein a large part of one's life has been lived and spent  in.   A place of nurture and love,  an abode where dreams have been built and achieved or even expired, a dwelling place "where your heart" keeps coming back to.  One that will overshadow other places and be tagged as transient.

Now, let me examine my own body, whether it is a home or an empty shell.  There is another song playing in my mind as I penned "empty shell" down.  It is a song which would divulge how many summers I have existed in this world.  For those among my age-group, I'd like you to link to this song: What Kind of Fool Am I?,  http://www.lyricstime.com/sammy-davis-jr-what-kind-of-fool-am-i-lyrics.html/.  If you are like me, who do not like to go to so many links, here is the second stanza of the song:

"What kind of man is this?
An empty shell-
A lonely cell in which
an empty heart must dwell"

Is my body housing a mind who is in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit and a heart that is ruled by Jesus Christ?  Are they calling it home because I have been nurturing them?  Or are they squeezed in together with the unemptied thrash bins?  I know all the filth that I may have been stacking would never drive Jesus off my heart and my life.  He has knocked, I opened my heart's door and asked Him to come in more than two decades ago.  He came to stay even if He has to stick it out  with the evils I may have inside me.  But has it been a home for Him?

Now, that is something to reckon with and one that I have to traverse in my quest to spiritual housekeeping.  I find myself crawling and I know the journey will be long and narrow.  I am cowering and sometimes I hide under the table.  Even to this writing, I can pinpoint something that I have been struggling with.  Something that has taken hold and perhaps has become a stronghold in my life that makes me a coward to face it and deal with it.  Why did God gave me the word "housekeeping?"  Is the holy spirit groaning inside in discomfort?  He might be less empowered because of these things I am hanging on to.  An idol that is hiding behind love?

Recycle Bin

(Thanks wiki)

Is there someone out there, having a predicament like mine?  We can pray with each other and claim victory over them together.  One day I will be able to conquer it and be able to write about it in detail.  Brokenness and transparency is required to be able to declare God's Victory over our shortcomings.  My wings, will then, be no longer clipped and I could soar to the heavens.

As of today, I am writing for the sake of locating a room in my mind and in my heart that will get the top priority being scrubbed and bathed with the Living Water of Jesus.  If I were to decide, I would tackle first those that don't need high-powered detergents and cleaning acids.  Those that could only be dusted over and would shine instantly.  That would be easy.  But who knows?   I believe  it would come unbidden because God will be with me on this.

Phil 4:4-8
"Let us focus on thoughts of good report." (paraphrased)