On the Homefront: Getting Back to Family and Community

On the Homefront Series

August is a month of lots of activities, families are focused on wrapping up the summer, and getting ready for the school year.  As we start a new month, we are often reviewing what was accomplished and taking stock of what's ahead. 

Our focus this month is the Homefront.  When I begin to imagine the Christian home, I think of a place of safety, comfort, instruction, and fellowship.  The home is the center of everything, and the driving force for what happens in our communities, schools, churches, workplace and the world around us. 

This new series "On the Homefront" will be our focus for the entire month of August.

 Here are the  topics we will be exploring:

• Getting Back to Family and Community
• The Origin of the Home
• Order in the Home
• The Influences on Family Life

Getting Back to Family and Community

As we leave our family home, we enter society, and are engaged as members of other communities.  The impact of family life is evident in our schools, churches, workplaces, and community.  We are pulled into so many directions as we leave our homes.  I'm sure your home is full of activity from sunup to sundown.  Each year, I join Ali Edwards A Day in the Life project which chronicles a week of everyday living.  I create a scrapbook that chronicles a typical week.  We definitely use that word "typical" lightly, because no day or week in our home is the same. 

So what's  a daily routine in your household? How do you begin your day?  What are the components of your day?  In our household we begin and end each day acknowledging each other in simple ways. 

Here's a typical day in my household:  

We wake up and greet each other with a good morning hug and a groggy or cheerful "Good Morning" greeting depending on the day the person initiating the greeting.  The key is that we all say good morning, and acknowledge each other in some way.  As we rush through getting showered and dressed, directions are shouted out constantly, "brush your teeth", "wash your face", "where's your backpack", "did you eat something?", "yes you can have some juice".  I think you get the picture of the morning routine.  Following the hustle and bustle to get ready, we head out to school and for work. 

Last year, I began a routine with the boys of praying and sharing our scripture reading each morning.  This was a means of slowing down our day, and ensuring that we honor God at the beginning of our day.  Over the course of the year, the boys have really grown and we have all been more mindful of placing God at the center of our day.  The prayers cover everyone, both in our home and at school.  I can hear a heart for others growing as they pray, and extend our love for God and each other to those they hold dear.  At the time, it was a goal to increase our devotion time, but it has definitely been so much more.  We spend approximately 2 hours from waking up to leaving the house.  It's a time of instruction, caring, and guidance.

The next part of our day, is spent in the community, joining in as an active member as a student, worker, or community member.  We spend approximately 10 hours out of our home, daily at work and school, and return home for the rest of our day.  Upon returning home for the remaining hours of our day before bedtime we have 4 hours to re-engage as a family.  This re-engagement allows for the family to share our days joys and challenges. Although we are busy preparing dinner and settling in for the evening it's also a time to receive instruction for the next days interactions.  The quality of the 6 hours at home, are the most important part of our day and will have impact on how we give of ourselves the 10 hours we are away from home.  This is why we must get back to family life and develop a people who will impact their community in a greater way. 

And How are the Children?

This series comes at an important time, when children are re-entering school, and families are establishing routines to support their lives.  Why now? Because our society has become driven by so many things, and the family is losing it's place in the midst of constant change.  At the core of every community, is the family unit.  The health of the family is evident in how society unfolds.  I'm reminded of the Masai Tribe greeting, "And how are the children?".  The response we are looking for is "All the children are well."  Can we really say that about our families, our homes?  We can when we do the work and get back to making family life a priority.  So what would you respond to the greeting, " And how are the children?"