Many of us know the fun and excitement of decorating the place where a new child will sleep.  As we anticipate the child’s arrival, we go into the room and imagine the joy of their arrival. As I entered my biological kids’ rooms, I remember standing there with my hands on my tummy excited about their arrival.

But with my “China Sunshine,” I notice that when I enter her room, I don’t touch my tummy.  I realized one day that I automatically touch my heart. My hand rests on my heart as I intensely long to go and bring her home.

When the alarm sounded (so to speak) with my biological kids for their delivery, I took them with me (inside of me) to the hospital. Once I discovered I was pregnant, I was never separated from them.  Yeah, of course, I hadn’t met them, but everywhere I went, they were connected.  So when the alarm sounded for delivery, we went there together!

But with Little Sunshine, a physical separation exists. One day the phone rang and an excited voice at the other end stated, “You have travel approval; it’s time to purchase plane tickets!” Finally, we plan for the travel that allows us to GO and pick her up.

And of course, this realization led me to ponder. I began to see the connections between my preparing a room for my little one and being allowed to go pick her up with Jesus preparing a room for me and one day he will come and pick me up. John 14:2 states, “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And 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.”

Someday Jesus will be given “travel approval” to take me home. In this passage is Jesus trying to emphasize that we will all have mansions? (To be honest, I think that would be lonely for each of us to have our own mansion!) I don’t think so. Some translations use the word mansions and some use the word rooms to describe the Father’s house. The word for house in Greek means “an abode” and implies the concept of the place where a family dwells. An abode in heaven will have many rooms since the family of God is large from people of all ethnic groups! Therefore, when we look at this verse in the context of Jesus’ teaching, he tries to help us understand that heaven is a big family where we each reside together in the presence of God.

When Jesus says he’s preparing a place or a dwelling for us in His presence, He encourages us that he is preparing space in his home for us. I wonder if Jesus ever goes into the room He’s preparing for me and touches his heart?  Does he sigh and long to be given “travel approval” so he can go get me and bring me to the room prepared for me in the midst of his large family?

Stop and think about it. Imagine the scene of God standing in your room in the heavenly dwelling and longing for you. God himself prepares a place for you – a place where you will be surrounded with love, joy, peace, laughter, and security. He is coming again to take you to the place He’s prepared just for you!

Sigh… My daughter is coming home!  I depart tomorrow to bring her home!