1603 was the first house I have ever bought and quickly became my home.
It was the house in which I spent my first years as a pastor
the space in which I rejoiced and cried in my first years as a pastor
It was the house in which Dakota grew to full size
it is the house in which she hid many a shoe, played in the bath tub, and took many a nap
It is this kitchen where my husband asked my parents to marry me (with my father in his boxers)
It is the kitchen where my brother and husband learned to tile a back splash
It is in this yard where I learned how to keep a dog from digging
to make the earth produce fruits and veggies
to tend the grass
to grow beautiful flowers
to take naps in the shade
to dig up overgrown bushes
It is in the master bedroom where my brother, mother, and I learned about texturing walls (uffdah)
It is in the front room where I was lost in many a good book
It is in the bathroom where I dared to put color on my walls after years of institutional living
It is in the kitchen where we learned about replacing counter tops and painting cupboards
It is in the living room where I learned about hosting family and friends
It is in the kitchen where I learned new recipes
broke bread with many a person
It is in the loft space that I sewed my first quilt by myself
It is the front threshold I crossed for many a long run
It is this small hole in the fence that my now 60lb dog used to be able to squeeze through
It is in this bedroom where I found my rest at night
It is in these bedrooms where I was able to offer rest to the weary
It is in this house that I learned the joys (and woes) of home ownership
It is in this house where my husband and I spent our first six months of married life (almost to the day)
Moving is bittersweet
My prayer is for its new owners, may their days be filled with beautiful memories, may the house be good to them and not have many problems. May the house be warm in the winter and cool in the summer. May they always find it to be a sanctuary and a safe place to be. May they welcome many a guest to their table and extend hospitality to all that they meet. May they have many a good year in 1603 and may she be as good to them as she was to me.
