Hygge
Hygge: Noun, A quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture (Oxford Languages).
Pronounced hoo-guh, this cozy little word conjures up images of candles and a cup of tea, a hearthside fire, the aroma of freshly baked bread, and dwelling in an abode. Abiding. In all honesty, these are the feelings I have when I think about the home I grew up in.
One memory I have is hopping off the school bus on Valentine’s Day and plowing through the front door of our farmhouse to the welcome sight of a plate-sized heart-shaped cookie!
This is what I want my children to come home to and bring their friends to, from friendly clamors of laughter to the clumsy attempts of asking forgiveness and figuring out life and relationships, both within the family and without. It’s figuring life’s idiosyncrasies out together.
When I have an errand or appointment and leave the kids with a list of expectations, such as completion of homework, practicing their instruments, or folding a basket of clothes, I ultimately want what they do to be together, with each other:to play a game together, be together, don’t isolate.
I want to create memories of being together and fill our home with togetherness. When there is conflict, let’s work out a resolution together, and work out what forgiveness is supposed to look like, as long as it is together. Abide with one another. This is hygge.
Hygge is like the working of the Word of God into our Spirit and meditating on it. As I’m washing dishes, I make it my altar wherein I can pray over a situation I’m concerned about. When I’m folding a basket of clothes, I can pray protection over each member of my family.
When I trip over the incessant mound of shoes in our entryway, I can pause and bless this season I am in with all its hustle and bustle. When we are clearing the table after mealtime, we can sing or review Bible memory verses and hide His Word in our hearts.
Isn’t this what it means in Deuteronomy 6:6-7, when we are exhorted to “commit yourselves wholeheartedly…repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up”?
We don’t have to wait until all our to-do list is done to lean into the Word of God, but it is the very Word of God abiding in us that enables us to live with hygge.
Francois de la Mothe-Fenelon was a French Catholic archbishop who lived circa 1650. He capitalizes on this theme, and his timeless words are as applicable today as they were 350 ago: We seek God afar off, in projects perhaps altogether unattainable, and we do not consider that we possess Him now in the midst of the confusion, by the exercise of simply faith, provided we bear humbly and bravely the annoyances which comes from others, and our own imperfections.
"Provided we bear humbly and bravely the annoyances which come from others." Spot on, Father Francois!
The book of Philippians really exemplifies this concept of hygge. In my home, may I consistently and humbly model the following verses in the nitty-gritties of life, hosting the presence of Holy Spirit and hygge for all who enter:
“Do everything without grumbling or arguing…Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer, and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Phil. 2:14; 4:4-8 NIV).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Deborah Ann lives in the southwest corner of Wisconsin, where she is living her dream with her husband and five children as she keeps up with laundry, chauffeuring, teaching piano lessons, and Music Together classes, along with homeschooling. The things that make her heart skip a beat are cultivating conversations with a friend over nettle tea, leading worship with her family, and engaging in musical venues with children and teenagers in her community. Something that makes her grin all giddy is ambling about on the trails near their stone cottage via walks or cross-country skiing. Something that turns her grin into grimace is the neglected vegetable garden she yearly resolves to maintain; however, cultivating herbs are one of her delights, and she is in the process of publishing her first devotional book based on her herbal endeavors. She can be found at awalkdownchamomilelane.com.