"I Go and Prepare a Place for You"

Sweet thoughts swirled in my head before my eyes opened this morning. I was already meditating on the words of John 14:2-3: "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

When I opened my eyes I saw a beautiful scene outside my bedroom windows. Trees so tall I can't see the tops, in colors of burnt orange, deep cranberry, emerald green and glowing gold. "Lord, these colors are too wonderful."

I started thinking about what my room, my mansion, in heaven is going to look like. Jesus is preparing it for me even now. Like the groom in Bible times who would tell his betrothed, "I am coming back. Be prepared. Meanwhile, I am building a place at my dad's house that you will absolutely love, Honey." He is planning my space for me! And yours for you! (If you are His.)

I know that when we are having guests whose tastes I know well, I try to prepare the room for their comfort and pleasure. My friend, Barb, loves antiques, quilts, dolls and animals. She has only boys, so a treat for her is to stay in Sarah's feminine room. Sarah has an antique double sleigh bed topped with a floral blue-and-white quilt. Baby dolls and a stuffie menagerie from childhood sit nearby on the wooden toybox under the east-facing, lace-topped windows. Molly, our Golden Retriever, loves to sleep in Sarah's room, and Barb loves Molly. Barb likes a night light and a fan, so both are on when she comes to visit. She has thanked Sarah several times for giving up her room for her. She has thanked me for giving her the brightest and girliest room in the house.

When Paul's brother and sister-in-law come for a visit, I give them Ben's room. He has a queen size bed to fit his 6'6" frame. Tony is almost as tall, and he also appreciates the Ravens theme going on. Pat, an avid reader, loves to curl up in his bedroom with the book she started on the road, or one that I've left on the bedside table for her to "find." She appreciates the room because it's farthest from the family noise--and has a glorious wake-up view to the woods behind the house.

So what things do I imagine are in my home in heaven? I think it'll take me a series of blogs to describe my imaginings. But first...

Books. There will be no more self-help books! No "how to!" books because we will have perfect knowledge! But poetry books, yes! I would love to read a book that has text written in many languages under one cover. Wouldn't it be cool to start out reading in French, then fluidly switch to Swahili and in the next line German, and then Greek and Hebrew and Russian? I'd understand all the idioms, be able to pronounce every word and syllable without stumbling or stopping to use a dictionary. Grammar, spelling, and punctuation would be impeccable. No red pens in heaven. (But there would be other colored pens, of course, in my room, because I have a penchant for them.) Would there be cookbooks with glossy pictures? Scrapbooks? Of course the Book of Life would be front and center, listing all the names God had written in it from eternity past. Are names listed by date of entry into heaven? By DOB or DORB (date of rebirth? Will DORBells ring?) In the Book of Life, are names listed alphabetically? Will the Zubrowskis still be right before the Zylkas in the Book of Life? Is my name under my married name or my maiden name, the name I had when Christ called me to follow Him? Will we not be called by our earthly names, but by the meaning Christ has ascribed to our essence? My husband thinks the Lord calls him "Steadfast."

Tomorrow...animals in heaven.