Finding a place to call home
Originally appeared on spirituality.com
The water was washing away my furniture, bedding, photos—everything I owned. I was powerless to stop it. I was running for my life, leaving everything behind. It was a scene of nightmare proportions. What would I do now that I was homeless? I started to cry.
It was just a dream. And how glad I was to wake up from this nightmare, brought on by television images of devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Even though I live in Australia, far away from the scenes of destruction, the human misery touched my heart deeply. It reminded me of the Asian tsunami tragedy that left homes and businesses badly damaged or destroyed, and from which many people are still struggling to recover.
I felt utterly saddened by the fact that Katrina and the tsunami have left so many people displaced and homeless. “Home is the dearest spot on earth” wrote Mary Baker Eddy in her book Science and Health. I agree. To me, home represents love and security, a private space, a place of peace, room to gather with family and friends. It provides shelter from the elements.
But what happens to “home” when you no longer have one? Can someone who’s been dispossessed find a place to call home? I know from personal experience that it’s possible, with God’s help. It doesn’t matter what the circumstances are—storm, fire, flood, war or any other kind of catastrophe—God is with us. He loves His children. He never abandons them, never leaves them without somewhere to live. Divine Love is always there to meet the human need for shelter.
I have my own experience with this truth. One day, I learned I had to vacate the building where I’d been renting a room. I'd have only a few hours to find other accommodation. I was shocked at being displaced and felt desperate. I had no furniture, I was in an unfamiliar city and I didn’t know where to begin to find somewhere else to live.
I prayed and asked God to help me. I affirmed that my Father-Mother was looking after me. I could not be left homeless. There would be an answer.
As I prayed, I remembered this Scripture. “Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.” The words reassured me. They said to me, “Don’t be afraid, Beverly. You’re not in a hopeless situation. In God’s sheltering care there are abundant answers and a solution to your housing needs. There’s a place for you. You’re not bereft of home. If God can take care of a sparrow and find her a home, then divine Love can do the same for you.”
This gentle prayer eased my initial fears of homelessness. Encouraged by the reminder of God’s love for me, I took the next step on my quest for housing by going to a rental agency. I learned a furnished flat had become available minutes before, and I could occupy it right away. It was a seamless transition with no delays or problems. By dark the same day, I was settled into my new home.
Since then, there have been other instances when I’ve been faced with no place to go. Each time, by praying and responding to divine Love’s guidance, I’ve found somewhere to live. I’ve now moved residence more than 20 times. I’ve lived in different countries, in a Vietnamese village, on a ship, in various types of accommodation, both by myself and sharing quarters with other people. In all my moves, I’ve been helped by thinking of home not so much as a location, but as a spiritual concept that I take with me wherever I go.
I know that my housing requirements have never been, and most likely will never be, as urgent as those who have been made homeless by Hurricane Katrina or the massive tsunami. Yet my experiences do give me hope that their needs will be met.
That’s why I’m praying for all those who have suffered loss of family, jobs and homes. Through the love of God and the prayers of people around the world, I believe that each displaced person will be led to a place they can call home.
The constancy of home:
Science and Health
58:21
King James Bible
Ps. 84:3