Farmhouse

I grew up in an old farmhouse. I believe it was about 100 years old when I lived there. There was always something that needed fixing or updating in the house. In fact, I saw a picture of where my parents had painted the wood floor in the dining room only to paint themselves in a corner and leaving an apple core. The next day, the apple core was gone and little mice feet tracks had suddenly appeared.

There were two ways to get in the house - the front door and the back door. Anyone who knew us always came to the back door. In fact, if someone knocked on the front door, we knew it to be a salesperson or some city person who didn’t know better. On the inside of the front door was a small room that we called the foyer. This room wasn’t heated so it was always kept closed. I guess I’ve never researched what the purpose of a foyer was for since it was mostly used for storage and coats and such.

The back door was similar in that the screen door opened to what we called the back porch. The enclosed back porch, or what I’ve heard referred to as a mud porch, was a small room that wasn’t heated and led to the back door of the house (to really cement the image, as a young child, the back door was one of those split doors where you could open the top half for a breeze). We used it for storage and for shoes and boots and other dirty clothes. The only difference between it and the foyer was it was used many times a day.

Both the foyer and the back porch provided an opportunity to adjust the environmental impact of the person before they entered the main living spaces of the house. Growing up on a small farm with livestock, you might walk through all kinds of things doing your daily chores. It was functional to have a place to take those soiled things off before you enter the house.

I’m starting to think that maybe I need a place, maybe not physical place but a mental place, to take off and ask for forgiveness of all the excrement I may have on myself from my sinful self before I enter the house of God.

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” - Ephesians 1:7-10 ESV

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV

“Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy!” - Psalm 99:9 ESV

“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” - Hebrews 12:28-29 ESV

Maybe the real question I need to ponder is where is the house I’m looking to have the mudroom in front of? The Church? Am I even thinking about a physical place? Or am I thinking of wherever I happen to be when I wake up in the morning? Even more often than that?

“Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” - Mark 12:29-30 ESV