The Front Porch

In the house before this one, I had an idea.
We built the house all those years ago.
It was the second home we lived in.
It would not be our last.

Two daughters were born while we lived in our first house.
The other three children were born while we lived in our second one.
Nestled in the woods on a cul-de-sac, it was the perfect place to raise our children.
My idea was a way to extend the living space to the outside.

I really wanted a front porch.
I wanted a Waltons kind of front porch.
I wanted a porch swing that could be my outdoor reading spot.
I wanted the coziness of sitting in porch rockers and enjoying the view.

I approached my engineer husband.
At first, he thought it would not be possible.
However, in my mind’s eye, it was already built.
I saw the porch and the rockers and the swing.

He saw the cost.
He saw the landscaping that would need to be removed.
He saw the hassle of getting estimates.
He saw the digging and the construction and the reality of the project.

He said yes.
I found the two men who would build the front porch for us.
They had done other work on other houses and I was impressed.
I called them and they came, and they gave their estimate.

Construction began.
My husband removed the plantings that were in front of the house.
It was not too difficult to do when the deer feasted on most of them anyway.
He came up with a new simpler, deer resistant landscape plan as the porch was built.

The footers were dug and the concrete was poured deep in the ground.
The lumber was delivered.
It began.
I was thrilled.

I would have a porch all along the front of the house.
The porch had three steps on the one side leading to the front walkway.
It was a safe porch for my small children.
Recessed lights were installed in the ceiling to give the porch a warm glow.

My husband painted the floorboards a weathered gray.
The railing was painted to blend in subtly with the house.
The rockers were bought, a long deacons bench was placed against the wall.
I even bought an old ladder on which I hung a bee skep basket and washboard.

The porch was ready for sitting and reading and relaxing.
My girls and I would enjoy a summer night there on the porch swing.
I kept a blanket throw on the swing and we would wrap ourselves in it.
Our books would take us to faraway places and faraway worlds, yet on the porch we sat.

I could watch my children play on the front lawn.
The little ones would wait for their siblings to get off the school bus and run to meet them.
The children would keep watch for the mail truck and race to get the mail.
Life happened on that porch; memories were made.

I remember a morning that I found myself alone on my porch swing.
A bird feeder was not too far from the porch steps.
That particular morning a goldfinch came to have breakfast at my bird feeder.
I remember the brilliant yellow color of the feathers, and I worshiped.

I worshiped the God who brought the goldfinch to the bird feeder next to my porch.
I worshiped the God who equipped the men with the necessary skills to build it.
I worshiped the God who gave me my husband who provided for us.
I worshiped the God who blessed me with my five children.

I remember worshiping God on my porch for the littlest things.
At that moment, they were the grandest things.
As I sat there, the goldfinch flew away.
I happened to look at my porch railing.

I noticed something I had not seen before.
One of my children had said something about it, but it didn’t register at the time.
I looked at all the posts, lined up so straight and even.
I saw one that was different.

One of the posts was placed in the railing upside down.
It wasn’t terribly noticeable, but there it was nonetheless.
One post was different from all the others.
One post, nailed and fastened, going in a different direction.

I laughed.
It couldn’t be more perfect simply because it wasn’t perfect.
There was a flaw.
There was a glitch.

The upside down post did not affect the structure of the porch.
The upside down post did not weaken the railing in any way.
The upside down post gave my porch character.
The upside down post reminded me of me.

I am flawed.
I am unique.
I sometimes walk around as if I have two left feet.
I do not go along with the crowd.

I am the Lord your God, consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.
(Leviticus 11:44)

The upside down post reminded me that I am set apart.
I am to be different from the culture that is around me.
I am to be in the world but not of the world.
I am to be upside down.

We have moved from that house and now I have a side porch.
My front porch is still there.
I often wondered if the new owners ever noticed the upside down post?
I would love to tell them all about it.

 

2 responses to “The Front Porch”

1. Hi!
   I am that new porch owner!!! What was once your home, became ours in 2002. God led us to that beautiful cul-de-sac home one fall day in late 2002. It was the front porch that invited us to see more. We fell in love the moment we saw it. The front porch has been a sanctuary for me over the years. In the warmer months, it is where I sit to spend time with the Lord each morning. There are two rockers near the steps, a porch swing on the other end and two cozy whicker chairs. I have laughed with friends, talked with friends, cried with friends, prayed and worshipped the Lord in that same space. It has witnessed much of my life, but more importantly, the intimate parts of life, the sacred, the divine. God has spoken many things to my heart in some pretty difficult times, there on that front porch.

   Just like you, I have read my children books on that porch and then as they got older, (and were homeschooled), they would choose to nestled into the porch swing with pillows all around and create their own reading nook. And yes, one day, long ago, as I sat under the canopy of the roof, hemmed in by the railings and yet sitting in the midst of God’s creation, I saw it. The upside down post, and I smiled. We are all fearfully and wonderfully, unique, purposeful in God’s design, and yes, this post stands as that reminder. Thank you for following through on the vision God gave you years ago in building that front porch. The purpose and beauty of that porch has been carried over into the lives of our family. It is cherished. Anytime you would like to come back and share a cup of coffee on that front porch, know that the invitation is always there. Much love to you…..Stacy

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   • Stacy,
     Joy-filled tears are in my eyes as I read your comment. How delighted I am that the upside down post is still there! I praise God that one who loves Him as much as I do now lives in that house and finds a sanctuary on that porch. A cup of tea and a sharing of hearts would be so lovely. Be blessed in that special house. You have made my day.
     Gina

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