What is Home to Me?

I am in a place of wanting to finish my year well and had the opportunity to spend an evening with two powerful ‘sisters in the faith’ in prayer, a few nights back, where we shared our gratitude for this past year and also what is on our hearts for 2026.  In this place of being vulnerable, we then took quality time to lift each other up and cover each other’s hearts desires before the Lord for Him to take the care of them as He has already gone before us on the journey!

Now that I am looking forward to what is ahead, I am asking myself, what is HOME to me?  Is it just where I live and feel safe or is it (or should it be) wherever God has me in that current season and am I ‘all in’ for what He is doing with me in it?

Google says …

Home is both a physical dwelling—a place of residence like a house or apartment—and a feeling of comfort, safety, and belonging. It can be defined by the people, memories, and sense of peace associated with a location, rather than just the physical structure itself. 

Physical definition

·        A residence: Home is the physical space where one lives, such as a house, apartment, or condo.

·        A place for domestic activities: It's a shelter where domestic activities like sleeping, eating, and hygiene are performed.

Emotional and psychological definition

·        A feeling of comfort and safety: Home is where you feel comfortable, loved, and secure, and where you can be yourself without judgment.

·        A place of belonging: It is associated with intimacy, laughter, and loved ones.

·        A collection of memories: Home is linked to happy memories, such as family traditions or a favourite meal.

·        A sense of identity: Home can be a place or community that shapes who you are. 

Expanded meanings

·        A native place: It can refer to the country or region where someone is from.

·        A base of operations: It can be the principal base for a team or company, such as a sports team's stadium or a company's home office.

·        A place of refuge: The word can describe any place of refuge or sanctuary. 

Although I agree with all those items of what Google says a home is above, I also know that my home would not be what it is without my heavenly father being present within.

A home with God present should be a place of refuge, where family members can find refreshment and intimacy, and where faith and knowledge are cultivated. The ultimate "home" is God, who provides eternal safety and rest. 

A home built on wisdom – Proverbs 24:3

A home built on security – Psalm 127:1

A home built on solid foundation – Matthew 7:24-27

A home as a place of rest – Psalm 4:8

A home that shows hospitality – Isaiah 58:7

I also know that at this time of the year there are those who don’t have ‘a home’ of their own and they struggle to have or attain the above comforts to their heart and soul and because of that there are many charities that call on us to support them for basic needs to be met.  Our connect group chose to support https://www.sharethedignity.org.au/itsinthebag this year and I was encouraged by everyone playing their small part for us to fill 5 bags to help those in need this Christmas.

Again, I am still pondering what is ‘HOME TO ME’ at this time of the year and I am reminded of the time, many years ago when my husband and I were selling up our first home.  Our children were only very young but once all the items in our house were being packed up to move, I remember sitting on the step in our front lounge and having the most full on crying session, taking in all the ‘firsts’ that I had experienced in that house of bringing my children home from hospital, them crawling, walking, talking and now I was walking away from it and it was breaking my heart.

All those memories do not depart from us, but I realised that I had attached them to my physical home in that season and the separation was difficult but since then, with each home we have moved to and from over the years I have not had the same emotional tie.  I now realise that my home is more about those who are in the home with me at the time and the experiences we have with each other, together.

Another Home we moved to, we experienced 3 consecutive break-ins and had personal belongings taken (that were never retrieved).  Items that were highly emotionally important to me – children’s baby broaches, husbands and my signet rings from childhood, a necklace that my parents gave me when I was sixteen and much more.

This was again a season where I needed to understand that although our home was invaded, God was our protector and, in the end, I needed to deal with the emotional separation and understand that the items taken were probably not really needed for me to move forward in my journey of what God still had/has in store.

So, I am coming to terms in my thinking process that HOME is probably more about where my heavenly father has me situated spiritually in a current season than about the physical structure itself.  I know too that the Lord will support us in the ability of having a ‘home’ to abide in and have the shelter we need.  Our current home, was used by the Lord to bring a blessing to His Kingdom purpose between 2002 – 2012;

In looking back on this season of our life, it was not so much about my husband

and me and what we were prepared to do, as it was about being obedient to the

Father for what He had in store for our children, even more.…

I just wanted also to share that at this same time; the house we built was a big undertaking for us. Every year our church had a “Joy of Giving” service, which we always contributed too but this time, we felt God asking us to “step it up” once again, so the figure we believed in faith to give was the biggest we have ever offered. During our house build, the construction company messed up. Company policy was “no monetary compensation – will always redo mistake.” Still, due to a string of unrelated circumstances, on this one occasion, they had to pay us back financially on completion of our house. YES, it was the same amount we had pledged in faith for J.O.G. at church – Praise God! He never lets us down!

Quote from ‘Door of Hope’ by Kim Stanfield

Whatever God puts in our hands, if we are willing to allow him, he will use for the plans and purpose he has for us in our journey.  It is more a management, I think of the blessings he gives to us to handle like the talents given to those in Matthew 25:14-30 – are we managing well the talents (physical property, resources etc) that our heavenly father has put in our hands until His return!

I think that if I take on the idea of what ‘HOME is to me’ – it’s about being at rest in the space I am currently, knowing He has said  in John 14:2-3 ‘I am going to prepare a place for you…I will come back and take you to be with me’.  Knowing that, certainly puts peace in my heart.

So, if in 2026, I am shifted, moved or in any type of unsettling scenario – I know deep down that I don’t have to be concerned or worried because my HOME is in Jesus Christ and He has my back in every circumstance.  All that I possess and own is His and I know He wants the best for myself and my family.

At the very beginning of this blog I quoted ‘Home is where the Heart is’ and that to me is so very true.  If my heart is in line with my heavenly father’s heart, then everything else will be in order or priority of what He desires for me and my walk with Him – So yes I am ‘all in’ with whatever He has for me up ahead!

Lord, I invite Your Holy Spirit to dwell in my home. You are Lord over heaven and earth, and I proclaim that You are Lord over this home as well. Flood it with Your light and life. Crowd out any darkness which seeks to impose itself here, and let no spirits of fear, depression, anger, doubt, anxiety, rebelliousness, or hatred find any place here. I pray that nothing will come into this home that is not brought by You, Lord. If there is anything here that shouldn’t be, show me so it can be taken out.

Put Your complete protection over this home so that evil cannot enter here by any means. Fill this home with Your love, peace, and joy. I pray that my family will say, as David did, “I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set nothing wicked before my eyes” (Psalm 101:2–3). I pray that You, Lord, will make this home a holy place, sanctified for Your glory. In Jesus' name I pray.

Stormie Omartian