In 1976, my family moved into the house on Oxborough Road that I would live in from 1st grade and into the 8th grade. It’s the house I still connect with many of my childhood memories. It was the classic suburban 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath rambler with a large yard on a curvy street. The builder that developed this neighborhood in the 1950s & 60s, used variations of only six or so different architectural designs. Still, I was convinced that ours was the best house on the block, most likely in the whole neighborhood.
My older brother and I each had our own rooms. Mine was the better of the two because I had two windows and he only had one. His closet was bigger than mine but, obviously, having two windows is better than a bigger closet. I was confident that if there was ever a fire in our house, I had an extra escape route. My brother just had a big bookshelf for all of his books, not at all helpful in the case of fire.
Olson Elementary was attached to Olson Junior High and I walked or rode my bike to school every day. Walking was actually quicker because I could cut through the fenceless yards of the houses in the neighborhood that sat between 99th Street, where I lived, and 102nd Street, where school was. I don’t really remember walking with my brother, probably because I was always faster than he was. Riding your bike meant riding all the way around to the end of the streets and going down a long hill. That hill was fun on the way to school, but much less so on the way home.
For most meals, we sat at the table in the kitchen. The dining room was only used for special occasions and for when we had company. I had the best seat at the kitchen table. It was under the window facing back into the room. I got to sit on the bench that my dad and uncle built just for me. It bugged me when I had to share that bench with my brother.
What are the things that you remember about the house or houses you lived in as a child? Did you live there with siblings? Did you share a bedroom or have one to yourself? What was the best thing about that home?
How do you think God’s presence was made most obvious in that place? For me, it was probably in how my brother tolerated my annoyances and competitive nature, watching out for me as we grew up together, discovering the world side by side.
May God welcome you home today. -Pastor Peter
Let us pray… Homemaking God, all good things come from you. We give you thanks for the places we have experienced as homes of joy and love. Help us to turn houses into homes, revealing your presence, nurturing lives into their fullest. Amen.