My Father's House Has Many Rooms...

It's no secret to anyone I've talked to in the past four months that we have been waiting on the bank to approve a short sale of a home for our family of five to live, but I've been hesitant to share anything in cyber-world about it because I didn't want all this expectation to be known and come to find out that we didn't get it.

However, listening to a few speakers this morning at my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group compelled me to share this, and hopefully I won't be kicking myself down the road for it.

As some of you know, the five of us are currently living in a TOWNHOUSE with my parents (I know, I know...it could be worse, right?  SOMEONE tell me it could be worse...).  My husband and I are sleeping in the basement, but thankfully my children have their own rooms upstairs.  Moving back in with parents presents challenges for anyone, but especially those with three messy, cute, loud balls of energy like we have.  (Balls=children, in case you didn't catch that.)

So, we have been praying, praying, praying for our own space so that we can establish roots in a community, have our own family boundary lines, and not have to worry about encroaching on someone else's space.  Not to mention, ALL parents seem to want to treat their GROWN children like they are still 12, and like we are actually just babysitting someone else's kids. (Love you, mom and dad...)

I'm getting to a point...stay with me.

Basically, my prayer so far has sounded something like this...
"GOD!  PLEEEEEEEEEASE get us out of here!  Let us have our own place!" The end, Amen.

But this morning, after hearing these ladies at my mommy group share on a very important issue, I realized my prayer for this house was going to sound completely different.  That issue is forsaken children, or at the very least, destitute in some way.

One woman shared about her involvement with an organization called Safe Families for Children, that seeks to help families in crisis by placing children in temporary host homes while the parents sort out some of their issues.  Some parents might not be able to care for a newborn just yet, or can't afford formula, or live with a partner who is violent, or have addiction issues.  Families around Chicagoland can take in these children for periods of time to love and take care of them while staying in touch with their birth parents.

Another woman shared about her personal experience in adopting a child from Ethiopia (I admittedly teared up when she said children were pleading at the orphanage to one couple to give them a home; how would I be able to say 'no' to any of them?).  I was sobered by the offensive reminder that children are desperate for love and somewhere to feel safe.  My heart was burdened.

My immediate response is that I want to do something about it.  However, right now, we don't have our own home to invite these children.  

So often we will pray the Lord's Prayer, which includes, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven."  Well, my question is then, what's it like in Heaven?  What does this mean for these children?  How can we show Heaven to them here on earth?  How will they know what God's Kingdom looks like in this world when already, at such a tender age, they've been violated, abandoned, emotionally scarred, deprived, neglected?

The Spirit reminded me of another place where Jesus talks about Heaven.

He says, "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 back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." (John 14:2-3)

Jesus is preparing a place in Heaven, so we can share in and experience His Kingdom as His children, adopted through His love, paid for by His sacrifice.  

It became clear to me then, in thinking about this, that in order for these kids to see Heaven on Earth, we needed to be Jesus to them by preparing a place for them, to take them so that they may be with us and be loved through anything from basic needs to being loved and encouraged and welcome.  I don't know if it will be through this or that organization, through temporary homes or permanent adoption, but I know we need SOMEWHERE that we can all lay our heads.

And that's where this house comes in.

So my prayer has changed now.  My heart is broken for these little ones.  I am asking God for this house now because I want to see God's Kingdom tangibly touch their lives in a way that they can experience Heaven on Earth, learn the lavish love of the Father, and know that there are people they can trust.  We are agents, ambassadors, of this sort of Kingdom to these children.  God wants to know, who will say "YES" to this calling?  Us, God.  We are saying Yes. 

If you think of it, pray for us that we would get this house.  The chances of us getting it are not terrible, but also not great.  We are in limbo just waiting and waiting to hear some news.  So we'd appreciate if you'd join with us to pray for this opportunity: not only for our benefit, but for the lives that we may be able to touch through bringing Heaven to Earth.


Your Will be done...
Peace.