Home. What a beautiful word to some, and a deep desire for others. To some, this word evokes memories of Christmas mornings, parties, or the smell of freshly baked cookies. To others, we’re still looking for a place to call home. Unfortunately, some houses are not places where people feel secure and loved. Instead, it is a building where feelings of pain and rejection live. Thankfully, a home is not confined to a building with four walls and a street address.

In my twenties I noticed I never really had a place to call home. I have a house and my parents love me and have done everything they can do for me- and I am very thankful for all they have done. Yet, I have never felt full in the house I was raised in. In that confined place, there has always been a part of me missing. There has always been a desire to be somewhere where my heart is full and my soul is understood and satisfied. There has always been a desire for home.

Many of us have heard the saying “home is where the heart is.” It is plastered on pillows, wall decor, door mats, etc. Yet, as a whole, we are convinced home is a place confined by four walls. A true home is not one which can be restricted to a building. A true home is someone or something which makes our hearts full.

To some, home may be in another state. It may be out in the middle of the forest, or out on a boat on a lake. It may be a place you have seen on postcards, or perhaps it is even a favorite vacation spot. It may be somewhere with a beach, or somewhere secluded from society. Home does not have to have a street address.

Another home may be found in the arms of a loved one. The warm embrace of a person who loves you may be the most welcoming, love-filled, stress-free place in the world. The gentle care found in a simple gesture of someone else has the opportunity to warm cold hearts, put racing minds to rest and calm our deepest fears. That is what home is supposed to feel like.

My home is not constricted to a building, or even the arms of a loved one. My home is found amidst lakes and woods. There’s something about the soothing way the wind makes the trees sing that makes my heart happy. My racing thoughts are put to sleep in the gentle way the water kisses the shore and gently hits my kayak. When I’m out on my kayak, it feels like I am the only one in the world- I feel completely at peace. All of my cares are gone, and it’s just me, God and His beautiful creation. There is something beautiful about taking the time to separate myself from a hectic world to re-focus on me and what really matters in my life.

Too often we are distracted by the constant rush of the world, and we are unable to see the importance of having a home--not a house. The sounds of highways drown out our need for occasional stillness and self-reflection. The busyness of our schedules causes us to put our need for personal time as a last priority.

Unfortunately, due to these pre-occupations, most of us forget to search for our home. We forget to look for the place where our hearts are full and our souls are understood and satisfied. I challenge you to look for that place and never settle for anything less. On your quest for home, never settle for mediocrity or “good enough.” Never settle for anything less than excitement and the thrill of being accepted for all that you are and are not. Allow home to be a feeling you carry within yourself, instead of a building confined to four walls and a street address. Allow yourself to explore new places and new people- you may even find your home in the process.