Love is a House

A long time ago, when I was in University, I fell in love with stories, so I read all the short stories I could find and listened to storytellers.  A few I vividly remember, like "love is a house."  It was the English countryside, and every person lived alone there, each in his or her own small brick home, for there were only so many bricks, and there was room for no one else inside.  One day a cargo plane flew over and accidentally dropped a load of bricks, which landed on a man's house and smashed it.  When he patiently rebuilt his house, it was larger than before.  

He gathered some extra vegetables and fruit, and he went over the hill to where a woman lived in her small house.  He invited her over to eat with him.  She was reluctant, but finally she came. And they were both delighted.  

So the next day he went out hunting for more bricks, and he rebuilt his house again.  Then he went into the valley and found others to invite to his home.  Years later, after he married and raised his family and lay on his death bed, his son leaned close so he could hear the last words, "love is a house." 

And it's true.  We are delighted with the home we have.  Wednesday evening we invited half of our leadership Team (and wives/husbands) to our house for Christmas dinner (I know it's early, but Darlene likes to get started on Christmas!).  I cooked steaks and sausages and roasted corn upstairs on our rooftop patio.  It was great sitting up there talking to Jackton and Irene and Robin and Victor as we cooked.  After dinner we all went upstairs and talked about the moon and Venus and stars and meteorites and whether they might ever have gold and the trouble we've faced over Made in the Streets land.  We are all so glad that we have chosen a non-revenge and patience and let-justice-take-its-course and God-will-work-his-will course.  

And the next day John Wambu came over after his work of building on the new nursery school building and his visit to the Department of Lands, and we sat on the rooftop and talked and enjoyed our friendship.

And tonight Darlene and I went upstairs after dark and turned off all the lights and felt the strong wind blow and watched Orion rise in the East and a beautiful but quickly burned meteorite.  And we felt the peace of love.  

Merry Christmas from Darlene, and may your house be love.