Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety, Jig
Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety, Jig
By McKell Jackson
We have moved around a lot during our marriage. We’ve done it all: moved around the corner and moved across the ocean; lived with family, and been largely homeless as we bounced from relation to relation; rented apartments and townhomes; purchased beautiful move-in-ready ramblers, a manufactured home on acreage, and a dated fixer-upper. Each new house gives me the opportunity to ponder the questions, “What makes a house a home?” and “Why are homes important?”
The word “homemaker” may be viewed as a bit outdated, but I feel it an honor to bear that title. Creating a home for my family has been a great joy in my life. I once heard a designer make the suggestion to think of words you’d like used to describe your home. Then when you consider purchasing a piece of decor or furniture, you can ask, "Is this [modern, cozy, chic, farmhouse, etc.]? Does it add to the aesthetic I’m trying to create?” I find myself applying this advice a bit differently, asking "Is my home welcoming? a safe haven? A refuge? Christ-centered? Will allowing this [movie, picture, game, activity, etc.] into my home add or detract from that goal?"
I love the picture “Home” by Amber Eldredge (March 2020). I love the parents, imperfectly trying to create a safe haven as the world grows darker. I love the flowers spreading outside of the home, suggesting that what we do in our home brightens the world outside it. I truly believe that the answer for all ills in this world is to set the home and family back at the center of society. As Confucius said, “To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order; we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.” Hearts are tended and fed in our homes, at our tables and in our living rooms. Harriet Beecher Stowe said, “Home is a place not only of strong affections, but of entire unreserve; it is life's undress rehearsal, its backroom, its dressing room.” We create the environment for ourselves and our children to blossom and grow. To make mistakes and try again. Home is the foundation on which we each build our lives.
Simply because we are human, each home comes with a unique culture, quirks, and flaws. We all come from imperfect earthly homes, but some homes are accompanied by deep pain and lingering trauma. Even from a sandy foundation, I have seen so many succeed in remarkable ways. These are some of my favorite stories. We start with what we have and do our best to improve upon it. Elder Richard G. Scott said, “One of the greatest blessings we can offer to the world is the power of a Christ-centered home where the gospel is taught, covenants are kept, and love abounds.” As we continue imperfectly trying to contribute beauty to this world, with whatever talents and resources the Lord has given us, we make a difference. It often feels small and insignificant, unseen by the masses, but it matters.
Our current Prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, recently said,
"It is now time that we each implement extraordinary measures—perhaps measures we have never taken before—to strengthen our personal spiritual foundations. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures. My dear brothers and sisters, these are the latter days. If you and I are to withstand the forthcoming perils and pressures, it is imperative that we each have a firm spiritual foundation built upon the rock of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ."
So what measures will we take? We have the power and responsibility to give our best effort in helping our children lay their personal foundations. What framework are we laying for them? A favorite scripture from the Book of Mormon says, “And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall” (Helaman 5:12). These foundations are built one by one, individually, in each heart. Not only will a Christ-centered foundation impact the personal lives of our children, but it will, in turn, lift our communities. It will have an impact on the world. In the refuge of the home, the desire can be forged in each heart to become a Kingdom Builder. A soldier in the army of Christ. If we want to see a different world in the future, we start with what is right in front of us. We start with our home. We start with our own hearts.
Header image used with permission: "Home" by Amber Eldredge March 2020
