By Sarah Beaugh

Ever since the Garden of Eden, the first perfect home, our hearts have been longing for a place to belong. Home is that intangible thing that we get to create wherever we are with people we love.

What is a home? It's much more a feeling than a place. It's the space we make for others. Whether it's fluffed pillows, hot tea, or simmering soup, we can offer what we have to provide a safe haven from the outside world.

We binge watch renovation shows not because we're looking for the newest trend, but because we hold out hope for what could be. The opportunity for possibility and potential to unfold before our eyes. We love to see revivals and restorations that speak to a deeper truth. We hope upon hope that no matter how many fissures in the walls or cracks in the foundation or grime on the walls, we are all worth repairing. The hope is one day we will be restored to a former glory yet to be seen.

Some of our fondest memories are of grandparents’ homes, not because of their chic décor, but because of the love and memories made there. The people there that loved us. Hospitality is the catalyst for making friends out of guests, making memories out of moments, and making respite out of a get-together.

Home is where we welcome family, friends, and neighbors into a life-giving space. The rooms in our home speak to the places of longing in our hearts- a place to be nourished, a place to be rested, a place to share laughter, a place to tend beauty.

By design, the garden was a veritable feast for the eyes. As co-creators, made in the likeness of God, we too can bring beauty to spaces we inhabit. Beyond designing a room or a whole house, we can create atmospheres and environments that beckon those outside to come and linger. It is around tables that we encounter empathy, friendship, and love. So, we throw open our doors, light the candles, pull a chair up to the table, and give others a small taste of heaven. Home is the place we invite others into our hearts.