A permanent, happy home

Given a choice, where would you locate your home -- on sand or on rock? It's much easier to dig foundations in soft sand than it is to drill into rock, but which house is likely to survive longer?

Christ Jesus described these two different building lots and what happened to the houses constructed on them. The house on the sand collapsed when floods deluged the area, while the house on the rock survived the elements. He likened those who listened to and obeyed the divine truths he taught to a wise man who built his house on rock; those who ignored his words were like the foolish owner of the house built on sand.

Does this first-century parable have any message for the homeowner in 1982? Maybe few of us live in an area where there are such floods or high winds, so our house is in little danger. But what about the turmoil caused when an apartment building is converted to condominiums? Or when a crime wave floods the community? Then there's the turbulence caused by the change in a family due to the passing of a loved one or to a young adult's leaving home.

Today those who listen to the Christ, Truth, can establish and maintain a stable home in the face of such challenges. From a spiritual standpoint, we might say that a home built on a rock is built with the Godlike qualities we bring to it. For a home to be happy and permanent we need to contribute qualities Jesus taught us to express, such as unselfishness and forgiveness. These God-derived qualities, which reflect the peace and love of the divine nature, counteract the shifting sands of discord, of fear and insecurity, that would threaten the downfall of many a home. They provide support to morality and a refuge from crime. These foundation stones are permanent and anchor us securely, even if it is necessary to move to a different house or apartment because of changing circumstances. Our real homem has permanent stability because its substance is spiritual qualities that never deteriorate.

Christ Jesus taught, ''Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.'' n1 He emphasized the importance of heavenly treasures, of God-derived qualities, as opposed to material goods. Certainly it would be superficial to measure our house by the wealth of treasures in it, by the size of the swimming pool or the value of the antiques. This is just a shifting-sand yardstick! Personal wealth or prestige provides a shaky foundation at best.

n1 Matthew 6:19

What do you want your home to express to a visitor? An atmosphere of peace, of warmth and friendliness? How wonderful to have a home that conveys something of the qualities of heaven, of perpetual harmony. Referring to those who take up the cross in their stand for truth, Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, writes, ''Pilgrim on earth, thy home is heaven; stranger, thou art the guest of God.'' n2

n2 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 254.

The qualities of home are those of our Father-Mother God, which man, His spiritual offspring, includes and expresses as His reflection. So in the truest sense our home is our conscious awareness of being with the Father, of reflecting His qualities. Nothing can ever really separate us from home. Every time we realize the presence of God in this way, we demonstrate more of our eternal unity with Him and reap the blessings of this relationship. DAILY BIBLE VERSE Surley goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Psalms 23:6