That is what they say. And I, for one, am glad for it. After spending the last couple of weeks moving to a different home, I find myself overwhelmed by the sheer amount of “stuff” we accumulate. My wife and I would not by any stretch be considered hoarders, but we are frugal people who have known times when we had little and had to scratch hard for everything we did have. Saving that screw or bolt or plastic fork meant we didn’t have to go buy one the next time we needed one. This little piece of scrap 2 x 4 may come in handy in my next project. And on and on it goes until there is a house full of leftover, nearly useless items that require a great deal of effort to remove.
So I am thankful today that there will come a day when we can’t take it all with us. Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2) Isn’t it a comfort to know these things? First of all, there is a place for us. In looking for a home, my wife and I spent the best part of a couple of weeks searching Craigslist and any site we could find for available properties. Our criteria included location, size, pet-friendly, how big is the pantry, how close is it to the nearest Fry’s Food store, Walgreens and Dairy Queen. Then we tried to arrange meetings to look at a few possibilities every evening. We saw from “not likely” to “great!” Some we liked were not available when we needed. Others found us in competition to multiple suitors who liked it as much as we. It was a challenge and exhausting. When I think about my eternal home, the one I shall never have to move from again, how thankful I am that my Father already has a place readied for me.
Secondly, we are told that Jesus has gone before us to prepare that place. Because we don’t like the thought of wallowing around in other people’s dirt, we decided to clean our new home from top to bottom while it was still empty. It seemed to me the best way to do that was to hire a company to come in and do a deep cleaning. So, once again I scoured the pages of Craigslist, searching for just the right company to entrust with this important task. Finally found one with all the “right” credentials and arranged for them to send out their best team. On the appointed day, my wife meets the expected cleaning crew at the new house and texts me, “it’s a he.” Just one. And it’s a “he.” Now, please understand, I am a man, and I know that some men are exceptional cleaners. But many are not. The one I hired wasn’t. So afterwards, we spent the next couple of days doing what he should have done for the deep cleaning price we paid. Jesus is preparing a place for us. We won’t have to lift a finger to set up our eternal home. Jesus has done it for us.
Then came the move day. Or should I say days. One load, two, four, seven, ten. At writing we are still making daily trips between the two houses for one more load. I am certain there is some sort of evil multiplying taking place over there in our absence. Maybe our neighbors are secretly throwing their excess over the fence knowing we will have to cart it away. Little by little we are getting it done. What a merciful Father we have who says, “Leave it. You don’t need any of that stuff here. Come on, and enjoy what I have prepared for you.” Oh how I long for that final move. It is going to be the best ever!
In the meantime, if I hear one more time, “It’s in a box…..somewhere…..”
No comments:
Post a Comment