What does it mean to feel at home? What or who makes you feel at home?
Here is a sneak peek of my guest post at Medium.com for Koinonia in which I share what it means to feel at home and how God is our home and dwelling.
Home is much more than the physical place we inhabit, our four walls. Physical dwellings and locations can and will change. The feeling of being “at home” is much more complex and has many layers.
What Does It Mean to Feel at Home
After I lost my husband (and with him the family I could call my own), I realized another terrible loss. I have completely lost my feeling of being at home. Suddenly, the cozy apartment we lived happily in for the last 5 years was no longer the place of safety and protection it used to be.
I moved to Bulgaria, back to the family of my origin, and there in my new apartment, I could not feel at home either. I found it difficult to relax, sleep, and just get this comfy feeling of being at home. This went by for a couple of years.
Why did I lose my feeling at home and what does it mean to feel at home?
Remember to pin me for later
Feeling at Home Means Being Loved
Here are several layers of what it means to feel at home.
Being at home means feeling beloved, cherished, protected, and cared for. This promotes a state of safety and security. A home is a place where we feel safe; it is our fortress that shields us from the troubles in the outer world.
A home is also a place of rest, where we can physically, mentally, and emotionally unpack the stress and get rest and refreshment. We find this beautiful description in the Bible:
“My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.” (Isaiah 32:18)
Another aspect of feeling at home is the freedom to be fully ourselves. This is the ability and space to express ourselves (our longings, desires, needs, problems) without the fear of being judged or the compulsion to please others.
A home is a place of intimate fellowship, communion, and friendship. We bond and connect there on the deepest levels.
Read the rest of the post at Medium.com to learn what are the other aspects of feeling at home, how to be at home with God, and why God is our home and dwelling.
More Encouragement for You
If you need more resources and encouragement to deepen your relationship with God, I can highly recommend these books. Check them out.
Trusting God in All the Things: 90 Devotions for Finding Peace in Your Every Day by Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk
Draw Near: How Painful Experiences Become the Birthplace of Blessings by Hadassah Treu
Make Up Your Mind: Unlock Your Thoughts, Transform Your Life by Denise Dubois Pass and Michelle Nietert
Life Can Be Good Again by Lisa Appelo
It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lisa Terkeurst
Life Changing Stories compiled by Mary Armand (you can read my story here too)
Hidden Manna on a Country Road by Sarah Geringer
Knowing God by J.I. Packer
This page contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. The commission I make from these items will help keep this blog going. Thank you!
Your Turn
What or who makes you feel at home? How can you deepen your relationship with God so you can feel more at home with Him? Share in the comments and on social media if you found this article helpful. Thank you!
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Fantastic post! I love how you have Bible verses and more resources.
Thanks, Kayla! I am happy you enjoyed the post!
Beautiful Hadassah. I love that our home is ultimately with God.
Thanks, Deborah! Yes, this is such a comforting truth. Blessings to you!
As a professional interior designer, you had me at “home!” I think this is my favorite post of yours. I have always believed in a spiritual component to interiors. I wrote a paper in college about how the Shakers spiritual beliefs/ religion were reflected in how they created their homes. Well done!
Thanks so much for your encouraging words, Julie! I am happy the post spoke to you as a professional designer. I haven’t thought in detail about this aspect, but you definitely have a point.
such a great post!
Thanks! I am glad it encouraged you.
What a thoughtful post on what does it mean to feel at home. Home is certainly more than four walls and a front door. It’s a feeling, a place, and often a person or people.
So true, Debbie! I felt most at home with my husband. The love we had turned every place we lived into home.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about what it means to feel at home. I often take home for granted. I need to be more grateful and consciously thank God for the blessings of feeling at home.
Thanks, Lisa! Yes, to have a home and feel at home is such a precious blessing!
Beautiful! There are many layers to feeling “at home”. I love how you draw attention to the depth.
Thanks so much, Rebecca! Yes, it is a complex emotion. I am glad you found the post insightful. Blessings!
The feeling of being at home makes all the difference. I love how God instructs us in Biblical hospitality so that we can ultimately understand that we, too, are intended to feel “at home” in our worship.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Jennifer! Yes, the more we know God and grow in His love, the more we feel at home with Him and in our worship.
This is beautiful, friend! I want to be the kind of person who offers a sense of home to others, no matter where in the world we happen to be!
Thanks, friend! I think you are definitely such a person! Blessings to you, and hugs!