Someone Else's Home

This morning I was able to accomplish something which has been on my mind for some time.  I visited the house which was my home for the first ten years of my life.  Now abandoned, it has been years since anyone has lived in it.  Walking through the various rooms, a ton of memories flooded my brain.  Although sad to see it in such disrepair, I found comfort in knowing it was once a happy home, filled with love.

Being in this house brought to mind a passage which came to my attention at a time my daughter and her husband were contemplating a move to a new location.  It happened to be a portion of Scripture assigned to read as part of a "read the Bible through in a year" plan.  I'm not sure how God does it, but so often readings fall on the exact day I need them!

The verses are found in Acts 17, and are part of a speech given by Paul to the men of Athens.  He had noted how religious the people were, and how they even had an altar with the inscription "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD".  He proceeded to tell them the God who made the world and everything in it was actually the Lord of heaven and earth , and He did not require a temple to live in.

Verses 26-28 of this chapter read as follows:

 

"From one man He [God] made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.  For in Him we live and move and have our being.  As some of your own poets have said, 'We are His offspring.' " (NIV)

 

If you look at these verses in various Bible translations, you get a better feel for what is meant by "exact places".  Older versions, such as the King James Version, refer to "bounds of habitation".  So not only did God establish I would live in Crosby, ND, but also in a green house on Main Street.  Also brought to memory today was a time His plan included living in a farmhouse southwest of Crosby.

 

At the time my parents built a new home, a woman from California was looking for older homes to move into the small neighboring town of Ambrose.  The original plans for the home were abandoned, and eventually the property was inherited by her niece.  For a time I thought it was one of several houses which were burned, but my brother assured me it was still there.  The niece then sold the property to a woman who now attends our church, who graciously offered to let me take my walk down memory lane.  To her I say, "Thank you!" and find contentment in knowing those now making it their home are of the nest building variety.