Preparing a Place for Us

<p>Our family was planning to get a puppy, so my eleven-year-old daughter researched for months. She knew what the dog should eat and how to introduce it to our new home&mdash;among myriad other details. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Turns out puppies do best, she told me, if they&rsquo;re introduced to one room at a time. So we carefully prepared a spare bedroom. I&rsquo;m sure there will still be surprises as we raise our new puppy, but my daughter&rsquo;s delight-infused preparation couldn&rsquo;t have been more thorough.</p> <p>The way my daughter channeled her eager anticipation for a puppy into loving preparation reminded me of Christ&rsquo;s longing to share life with His people, and His promise to prepare a home for them. Nearing the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus urged His disciples to trust Him, saying, &ldquo;You believe in God; believe also in me&rdquo; (John 14:1). Then He promised to &ldquo;prepare a place for [them] . . . that you also may be where I am&rdquo; (v. 3).</p> <p>Trouble was coming. But Jesus wanted His disciples to know that He was at work to bring them home to Him.</p> <p>I can&rsquo;t help but delight in the careful, deliberate intent with which my daughter has prepared for our new puppy. But I can only imagine how much more our Savior is delighting in His own detailed preparation for each of His people to share eternal life with Him (John 14:2).</p>