Physical spaces matter so much to me. I’m a homebody. I love my things. There’s nothing quite like my own bed, my own bathroom, my own kitchen. I love the sights, sounds, and smells of home.
But what if your physical space changes or if you cannot be in that location when you wish? I’m home less than I wish these days with travel, for example. One way I’ve grown in the last four years of traveling for speaking engagements includes understanding a new way to feel comfortable when I’m not in the space I wish. And it all goes back to a few words by the actress Emma Watson.
In an interview with Vogue in 2016, (quoted from an Elle cover story from 2014), I read how Emma Watson handled travel and moving from place to place on different movie sets. I also remember her speaking once on the same problem in an interview, and the words struck me. She said this: “I [needed] to find a way to always feel safe and at home within myself. Because I can never rely on a physical place.”
I loved the idea of retreating with God into the safe space of my own soul, and this concept fueled the writing of Guarded by Christ back in 2016. When we cannot rely on a physical space, we think of our home in God and His home in us. We carry this home with us wherever we go.
I think of Psalm 90:1 and how the Lord is my dwelling place. I think of Psalm 119:54: “Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge” (emphasis mine).
No matter the physical space I’m in, I’m dwelling in God.
And this means I can go anywhere with all the peace, safety, comfort, and joy I need.