Love in the Big Big House
This one is going to be a bit shorter than usual, Dear Readers, because I am getting ready to graduate college, but I did not want to leave you without anything so I decided to share a song that I have had in my head for the past couple of days.
Big House, by Audio Adrenaline, has been a song that has been blasted in my parents' house and in my car since the day I can remember, and now my nephews love to hear it on repeat as well. I have such a personal connection to this song, both in my heart and in my real life, let's get started!
First off this song is super catchy and I am not sorry if it gets stuck in your head, and second I know all the lyrics and actions thanks to Summer Camp and my mother who learned them when she was little. Now let's dive more into the lyrics and what they mean to me.
“I don’t know where you lay your head
Or where you call your home
I don’t know where you eat your meals
Or where you talk on the phone”
Wow… these are the first four lines and they bring up some deeper thoughts that no one really thinks about. When you are looking at a stranger off the street you can't see their thoughts or feelings. We don't know where they came from, what background they have, how much money they make, or where they live. Some people live day to day and sometimes that is enough and other times it can bring fear because they are not sure where their next meal is coming from or if there is a safe place for them to sleep. Where is that safe place that everyone strives for?
“I don’t know if you live with friends
In whom you can confide
I don’t know if you got a family
Say a mom or dad
I don’t know if you feel love at all
But I bet you wish you had”
These are words that I really meditate on when listening to this song. Growing up in a home where EVERYONE is welcome (that is not an exaggeration, literally EVERYONE was welcome) I saw many different types of people with different issues or just different levels of emotional capacity. My siblings and I brought many friends over because we knew that our house was a safe space where people can feel loved and walk away knowing that we were the kind of people who shared the Love of God. Speaking to others through love is difficult because sometimes I felt like people were trying to steal my parents' love away from me. After all, they were getting all the attention, but in reality, my parents knew that they only had a limited time to make a difference in someone's life whereas I lived with them and had unlimited access.
Some of our friends struggled at home because they just did not feel "loved" by their family. Some people were jealous that we had family time, dinners at the table, or even just an open conversation about anything that popped into our heads. I never realized that we had until I was older.
“It’s a big big house
With lots and lots of room
A big big table
With lots and lots of food
A big big yard
Where we can play football
A big big house
It’s my Father’s house”
This is so true! God has room for everyone and He is just waiting for you to take the next step and invite Him into your heart. It is my job as a Christ-follower to invite those around me to a place of acceptance and no sorrow. That is right Dear Readers, God has a place where there is no more sorrow and the air is full of God's love.
“All I know is you need love
And I’ve got a family
All I know is you’re all alone
So why not come with me?”
Now that I am older and I have lived in my own apartment and house I have learned the secret my parents passed down to me. Fill your house with love and acceptance and you will change the lives of those around you. I have made tons of good friends because they know I am trustworthy, kind, and loving. I have friends come over every weekend just to hang out, play games, watch movies, or play DnD. Those are my favorite times because they know that when they come to my house it is a place where they feel welcomed and a warm meal is prepared for them.
This open-door policy is not just for one night only it is a policy that is ongoing. I have had people call me in the middle of the night and have asked to stop by and talk things out. I have had people spend the night because it was icy outside and too dangerous to drive home. Everyone knows that I am always there for them and they will never be turned down.
God has truly blessed me with so much that I have no reason to hide it for myself. I want my house to be so full of love that it explodes. This reminds me of another song that my family listened to called Love is in the House by Toby Mac:
“Love is in the house and the house is packed
So much so I left the back door cracked”
Can you imagine a house so filled with love that they have to open the back door? That is exactly what it will be like in Heaven when God opens up his front door and says, "Come on in my good and faithful servant. There is plenty of room." Ugh, can you imagine Dear Readers? I for one cannot wait until that day, but until then I am going to continue to spread the love of God and let people know that they are always welcome.
So come, and go with me to my Father's house!
Until then,
Peace Out Lovers!
