I was reading in Adoptive Families Magazine recently about a mother who was 'nesting', waiting for her daughter's adoption to be finalized. She expressed that without a 'due date' like a pregnant mother would have, she had to force herself to prepare a place for her daughter in faith that the adoption would indeed take place.
I remember preparing both Ellie's and Reni's rooms. During our homestudy, we had to show our social worker what room we would use for our child and prove that it was safe with the appropriate smoke detectors and such. But until their referrals arrived, the rooms remained pretty generic. Ellie's room was an office/guestroom, and Reni's was our den.
That all changed with a referral! We now knew who would be occupying those rooms! We got busy picking themes and paint colors, shopping for a crib and dresser, putting together toy storage, hanging pictures, organizing closets… Each decision was made with our individual children in mind. We tried to plan an appropriate space for a young child, but with the flexibility to grow with them as they grew. We knew that for the first time in their lives, they would have their own room, their own place! We wanted them to feel welcomed, safe and loved. All of these thoughts and more went into preparing a place for Ellie and Reni, and all of the preparation was for one purpose…to bring them home to be with us forever!
That all changed with a referral! We now knew who would be occupying those rooms! We got busy picking themes and paint colors, shopping for a crib and dresser, putting together toy storage, hanging pictures, organizing closets… Each decision was made with our individual children in mind. We tried to plan an appropriate space for a young child, but with the flexibility to grow with them as they grew. We knew that for the first time in their lives, they would have their own room, their own place! We wanted them to feel welcomed, safe and loved. All of these thoughts and more went into preparing a place for Ellie and Reni, and all of the preparation was for one purpose…to bring them home to be with us forever!
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| No longer a guestroom, but our cherished daughter's personalized space |
1"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
I have read these verses many times, and have heard sermons preached from this text, but until just recently I never connected them to the nesting Cydil and I did in preparation for our children. Could it be that Jesus is carefully picking out paint colors for our future rooms with us individually in mind? Could it really be that he is personalizing a place for you and for me? Could the Father be hanging pictures on the wall to help his adopted children feel welcome, safe and loved in our new heavenly home? If God pursues individually each of his children, I believe his preparation of our 'forever home' must also be as individualistic. Jesus didn't say, "I have gone to prepare lots of rooms." Instead he said, "I go to prepare a place for you." God is 'nesting'!
I can't wait to see the room He is preparing for me!
-Nathan
-Nathan
2 comments:
Thank you Nathan for your Fatherhood posts. I find them special to hear specifically from a father’s perspective, different perspective then what you and I necessarily converse, but as you encourage others to evaluate their own view and connection with our eternal Father, it is inspiring. Thank you for sharing openly!
What a BEAUTIFUL thought! Makes me want to go home all the more. Thank you!
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