Sanctuary

From Houghton Mifflin's online dictionary:
sanc·tu·ar·y    (sngkch-r) KEY 

NOUN:
pl. sanc·tu·ar·ies

1. 1. A sacred place, such as a church, temple, or mosque.
   2. The holiest part of a sacred place, as the part of a Christian church around the altar.
2. 1. A sacred place, such as a church, in which fugitives formerly were immune to arrest.
   2. Immunity to arrest afforded by a sanctuary.
3. A place of refuge or asylum.
4. A reserved area in which birds and other animals, especially wild animals, are protected from hunting or molestation.

I work at a church, so sanctuary is a word I use frequently.  We have a room at our church called the "sanctuary" where we "worship."  I attend worship services here, too, but this room is not my preferred sanctuary.  My sanctuary is in my kitchen.

For our small house, we have a large kitchen.  The kitchen is my sacred place, place of refuge, a place where I am protected from the pressures of my world.

Our kitchen is adorned with artwork from our children.  We've also got baby photos from the cutest kids in world.  The freezer portion of our refrigerator is completely covered with photos of our best friends.  It is hard not to feel love in this room.

I've got a speaker for my I-pod in the kitchen, and plenty of dance floor.  Claire and Paul have decided, like me, that they enjoy dancing to Billy Joel.  His songs are so upbeat and happy.  The kids love screaming and dancing to "Uptown Girl."  (Please don't tell them this is an old song.  They think it's new and hip.)

Sword fights and Hot Wheel races also are a near-daily occurrence in the kitchen.  I am always prepared to be a "bad guy" and dodge Paul's sword or light saber.  

Beyond play, we have a beautiful coffee pot in the kitchen. Drinking my first cup of coffee in the mornings while doing my Bible study is a sacred ritual.

The counter, the stove, the refrigerator, are all magical instruments used to transform ordinary ingredients into  food for loved ones.  My KitchenAid mixer is from my grandparent's kitchen and used regularly to make baked goods for others.  The kids love mixing chocolate chip cookies in it and sticking their fingers in the batter.

We have a window above the sink that overlooks the oleander bush my grandparents gave us for a housewarming present nearly 10 years ago.  When I open the window, I can always hear birds singing.  We also have a family of lizards that likes to run across the screen at night.  Bugs are drawn to the light from the kitchen, so the lizards find the kitchen window is a great hunting ground.  Some evenings Adam and I stand in front of the window watching the lizard show for a long time.

Herbs are growing on the window sill and I snip them when I need some fresh ingredients for dinner. Ivy from my grandfather's house trails the tops of the cabinets, which are decorated with gifts of roosters and special wine bottles from friends.

Last week and the beginning of this week was busy, and I wasn't able to get in the kitchen and cook a decent meal.  I just threw together quick fixes to feed us on the go.  Yesterday, though, I had time and took it to thoughtfully prepare a home-cooked meal.  When I have time to do that, all the stress goes away.  Paul came in and searched for his Darth Vader costume and Claire wanted me to give her a dog for a baby.  

This morning, like all mornings, Adam will come in with his coffee and iron his clothes.  We'll discuss the plans for the day as I prepare the children's lunches.  Our routines in the kitchen are so normal and so sacred.

In the Bible, there is a famous story about two sisters, Mary and Martha.  Martha worked in the kitchen and complained, and Mary sat and listened to Jesus.  I find that for me, the opposite is true.  I work in the kitchen to listen to Jesus.  There is only love here, and that speaks of God.