Edith was born in 1914 in China to missionary parents. Edith and her family returned to the United States where she met and married, Francis. Edith and Francis moved to Switzerland in the late 40's and founded L'Abri in 1955. L'Abri is French for shelter. L'Abri became a place where people from all over the world traveled to seek answers to honest questions about God and the significance of human life. I appreciate Edith's practical wisdom regarding Christianity and the family. What is Family? According to Edith Schaeffer in her book by the same title, a family is mobile. "A mobile is a moving, changing collection of objects constantly in motion, yet within the framework of a form." In the center of our mobile would be four moving pieces, Eric, myself, Hannah, and Abby. The next level would include our parents and siblings and their families. This book was published in 1975, but because it is based on God's word, the truths expressed are unchanging. One sentence in one chapter really hit home for me and caused some deep reflection but that is a post for another day :) Edith ends chapter one by saying, "artists have to work to produce their art." In describing the family as a mobile, Edith is comparing the family to a work of art. Any artist can tell you that creating a masterpiece takes a vision and then a lot of perseverance and hard work. In our day of instant happiness, Edith says if things don't work out we are tempted to toss it out and start over again. I was tempted to do this same thing recently while working on sewing a top. Because I was eager to get to the finished project, I did not take time to try it on to fit it along the way. Times like these are when I wished that I had my great-grandmother, who was a talented seamstress, walk me through the steps of successful sewing. Needless to say, when I was almost done, I tried it on and realized I needed to do a little altering before I would be able to wear it. I have to say I was a little tempted to toss it out and start over again, but then I thought of the time I had already invested in it. Not to mention the money spent on the pattern and the material. These same feelings can carry over to the family. In our quest for happiness and perfection we can be become frustrated and impatient with our marriage or family when we experience disappointments and struggles. We then wonder if it would be easier to toss it and start over. Edith would say to this, "there is no neat little package of time which is brand new and not invaded by memories from the past." If we are not committed to working through our difficulties now they will just follow us. She goes on to say "people throw away what they could have by insisting on perfection which they cannot have, and looking for it where they will never find it." When I began to think about the time and money I had already invested in my top, the thought of tossing it and starting over was not to appealing. The same feelings on a much greater scale carry over to my commitment to my marriage and family. Yes, Eric and I do not always see eye-to-eye and there are certainly days when disagreements make communicating very, very tough, but I am not about to throw the past twenty years all away. I appreciate how Edith compares the beauty of a family to a piece of art. And I will end with this quote, "There is beauty and continuity which can never be had unless someone in the family has the certainty that the whole art form is more important than one incident, or even a string of incidents." I love the beautiful dynamic masterpiece God is creating with our family.
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AuthorI am a woman who loves everything about making a house a home. I enjoy meal planning, cooking, baking, sewing, crafting, and decorating. Not so much cleaning and laundry, but that goes along with caring for a home. I am blessed to be married to a pastor and we have had the privilege of raising two daughters. Archives
July 2021
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