Sunday Sentiments: Preparing a Place

 

            Earlier this week, I watched the most beautiful little Beth Moore video. This wasn’t one of her professionally taped teaching sessions. This was just Beth capturing a live video at 6:30 in the morning in her house. You never even saw her on the video. She just told a story about the tea corner in her house, but it made such a profound impact on me. Let me tell you about it.

            She was up early, awaiting the arrival of her firstborn daughter, who was on a plane at that very moment, headed her way. In preparation for Amanda’s arrival, Beth had gotten out the tea kettle, several kinds of tea, honey, sugar, and all the little cups that make tea time grand. She had a fire in the fireplace and blankets beside the big cozy chair. She told the story of the little blue dish that held the teabags – a gift from a former pastor’s wife who loved that little dish, but she loved Beth more, so she gave it to her.

            As she talked, Beth made the analogy (while acknowledging that in the big picture, it falls short) of how Jesus has promised to prepare a place for us and that He must prepare for us with the same excitement and tenderness that Beth prepared for Amanda.

            It caught my attention especially because I had just prepared our home for Frog and Jenna to visit. I knew how much I had loved setting up their room, writing their names on my message board, pulling out the cameras to do their requested photo shoot, and cooking all the extra special dishes we would not ordinarily have had, but we wanted to make everything sweet for them.

            I thought about how I kept checking my phone to see progress reports on their journey and how excited I was to know their car had pulled safely in the drive. (And my excitement was nothing compared to Lexi’s mind-and-ear-blowing full body joy at seeing them.)

            Maybe you are better at this than I am, but sometimes I forget just how overjoyed Jesus is to prepare that  place for me, and how much tender care He puts into it.

            That little video from Beth Moore’s kitchen and living room reminded me of the sweet love of my Jesus for me, and He loves you that much, too. Maybe you need that reminder today?