Vocation is the work that fulfills us and benefits others. It is the use of our unique talents in the world. It may or may not be the same as our job. Perhaps your vocation is the coaching you do weekends or your participation in an organization that is important to you.

Our home fosters our vocation in many ways. It is the place where we can sit back to evaluate and dream. It puts our work into perspective. It is also the place where we rest and rejuvenate for another day of activity. Much of the time we are not even thinking of our vocation but we are being restored so that we can carry it on.

In a sense we are always entering into our work or coming home from it, even if we actually work from our home. We need a clear sense of this coming and going, a way to separate the two. Because of this we will be looking at the entrance to our home. The entrance makes us aware of these transitions. It also give us and others a sense of who we are.

 


1- Approach your home as if you were a visitor.  Look at your house 
and your entryway.  How does it  look to you?  You want it to look warm 
and welcoming and yet give a sense of being a private place, 
secluded from the rush of the street and those walking by.

Is there a clear pathway to your front door?  Is it buffered from the 
street by some natural things like lawn, bushes, flowers or a wood fence?  
We don't want these to block the front door but to give us a sense of 
distance from the public.  A flower bed may  be only a few inches high 
but it can mark the border of our property. Even a couple of flowerpots 
by the door of our apartment can give this sense of separation.


2-Walk up to your front door.  What do you notice as you walk? 
In our culture we tend to have garages jutting out in front of our house
and cars sitting in the driveway.  It gives us the feeling that our homes 
are only stopping off places on the way to the "real" world out there. 
We tend to dash in and out unaware of our surroundings.  

What can you do to slow yourself and others down?  Are there flowers 
to look at or perhaps a stone wall?  Is there room for a bench by the
front door or maybe a bird bath among the roses?  All these things 
give us a chance to pause and notice our surroundings.  We become 
more aware that we are entering or leaving our home.


3-Take a look at the entryway to your home. What does it tell a visitor
about you?  More important, what does it tell you about yourself?   
If it is cluttered or run down it makes people feel like they are entering 
a home of someone who is overwhelmed with life.  On the other 
hand if it is neat and new looking but simply looks like every other 
door in the neighborhood it reflects a loss of individuality.

The entryway needs to  fit your family's personality.  Some may love 
having a  big front porch where they can watch and greet neighbors.  
Others may want a quiet, dignified entrance.  Put something there that 
indicates a bit about you such as a homemade country wreath on the door 
or wind chimes that will greet people with their gentle sound. You want 
to feel that when you come home you are coming home to yourself.


4-Now step inside your front door and stand there for a moment.  What do 
you see from that spot?  Do you feel like rushing in and getting to work 
or do you get a chance to pause and take in your surroundings?  

Is there a place to set down packages and to hang up coats?  Are there 
some plants, pictures or other objects that reflect your family's 
interests and talents?  If the door enters directly into the living room, 
you can give the sense of a foyer by how you arrange the furniture. 
Your goal is to help people feel they have arrived at a welcoming place.


Look over these ideas and add your own.  Try some of them out on 
your home and notice the how much more aware you become of your 
home as a welcoming place.  Enjoy this chance to express a bit of 
yourself and your family in the entrance of your home.

Home As Our Haven