Peace in the Storm

Painting by Paula Vaughan

It was only a blossom--

Just the merest bit of bloom,

But it brought a glimpse of summer

To the little darkened room.

It was only a glad "good morning,"

As she passed along the way,

But it spread the morning's glory

Over the livelong day.

The woman is needed at home. In financial trouble, a woman is even more needed at home, to calm the storms of life. In any upheaval of life, there has to be a part of our world that will stay the same, that will be predictable, and stable. If a woman abandons her station at home, to pursue money, leaving everything neglected, she creates an even bleaker situation. When there are calamities, making the home a place of normalcy is even more important. The men will face many trials, but it should not be necessary for them to face yet another trial at home--the trials of chaos and uncertainty that occurs when the homemaker is not there to provide a calm in the storm of life.

Someone wrote me and asked me why our kitchen situation did not upset me more. As a pipe burst suddenly, I had to get everything out of all the drawers and cupboards quickly. I put them in paper bags and boxes, and when I ran out of those, I just piled everything on top of the couch in the living room. I created a path between all the bags and boxes and other things, and this kind of upheaval was not going to go away quickly. I had nowhere to put any of it, (due to that bumbling family, the Bumphries , who moved into the garage and took up any storage space we had) and we had piled a lot of it on the dining table, so we could not use it. Nothing could be done until there was a new cabinet and places to put everything, so we walked around all this clutter for several months. I fantasized briefly about running away, but my nearest relatives are in Australia, and I had nowhere to go. I was stuck here and had to make the best of it.

In the midst of the dust and noise from the repairmen, my daughter brought out a little round table and put it in the middle of the living area. She draped it in a table cloth and set it with fine china and flatware and this is where we ate, surrounded by pots and pans and everything that came out of our kitchen. When the men came home, they smiled and said they thought it was wonderful to come home. Just that small touch of providing a special place to eat and a hot meal, calmed every one's nerves and gave them a feeling of well-being.

The edge of any crisis can be smoothed when the homemaker is there to keep the home fires burning and provide some kind of regularity in life. This is especially important when there are troubles threatening. Although this act of confidence will not guarantee a trouble-free existence, it will occasionally banish a fear or make the blows seem lighter.

Jesus said
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. " (Matthew 11:28-30)

Throughout the ages, men have compared the home to heaven, describing it as a reward, a refuge, and a rest. Home has often been described as a reflection of heaven. If we are to do God's will on earth "as it is done in Heaven," then some time will have to be taken to make the home different than the pressures and inconsistencies of the world. The homemaker has a unique opportunity to put all the sweetness and light into the home place, and make a real difference in the lives of others. When we think of home as a reflection of heaven, the burden is lighter.

All the elements available to the home, can be used to make it a place of peace in the storm, from the lighting, to the comforts and the tastes and smells. The arrangement and care of the house is something that has an effect on the minds and the souls and the emotions of the family members, whether they live there or are visiting. That is why it is so important that the woman be given the time to do it. Taking care of a home takes much, much time.

Having a pleasing home that others like to be in, is not something that is slapped together as an after thought, but something carefully planned and thought out. For example, she may have to sew a new table cloth. She considers the fabric or print, carefully drapes it on the table to measure the length, and then cuts and stitches it to fit. She drapes it again on the table, and stands back and looks at it, places her fingers on her chin and looks at it critically. She wants to get it just right. It is important to her. She cares how it will make others feel. She may then set the table, stand back and look at the center piece of flowers and decide they are too tall or the wrong color for the effect she wants. To do all this, the woman must be allowed to stay home, because even when she is resting, she is formulating new thoughts and ideas about her life, her family, and her home. When her interest and loyalties are divided between home and work, one will suffer, and it will most likely be the home. I remember Nancy Reagan saying that she could not work once she was married. "I just didn't think I could handle both," she said, ",I chose the marriage."