The Spiritual Meaning of House Shopping

Dwellings are spiritual things. Space is sacred, because we inhabit it on a daily basis and so it shapes our daily lives. As Adam and I start to look at houses here in Bolingbrook, we're thinking about these things.

We've actually played around with the idea of buying "beneath our means." In part, this is because we're not sure what Adam will be doing to make a living next year. But what would it mean to look at -- or choose? -- a house that was smaller and less polished than what the market tells us we can afford?

Oh, but it's hard not to go out and think only in terms of the lofty ceiling of our price range -- ooh, fancy pants kitchen! three bathrooms! brand new construction! Two car garage! And the higher you buy, supposedly, the larger return on your investment.

But isn't that what got so many people in trouble recently? Buying above their means? A woman at church told me that she and her husband purposely bought a house they could support on one income, just in case.

And perhaps there are spiritual reasons to consider a house smaller or "less perfect" than what the bank says you can afford.

Adam often says: "I don't want more space so that we'll go out and buy more stuff to fill it up."

If we had less space, we might have more cash to spend on furnishing it with furniture we REALLY LIKE (instead of all IKEA, all the time) and actually moving my childhood piano out here from my parents' house. Or we could make the house ultra energy efficient (Adam's parents have geothermal heating). Or we could travel more (the bishop says he wants to organize a trip to the Holy Land in a year or two). Or maybe we would simply pay more attention to what home means to us, since every square foot would count. Or maybe pay less attention, since there would be LESS roof, less plumbing, less wiring, fewer windows, etc. to think about. Not to mention less space to heat.

I'm not sure where this journey will take us, but it is making me re-examine what's important to me. I'm sure I'll learn a lot about myself in the process.

(But gosh, it's embarassing how SILLY LITTLE things catch my attention: "ooh, a birdbath!" "ooh, cool light fixture!" "ooh, a cherry red bedspread!" Things that have NOTHING to do with the overall quality or value of the house.)