Decorating by Christ

I am a decorator by nature. In the 70’s I decorated my Barbie House, with orange and yellow blow up furniture and shag carpet. In the 80’s it was my bedroom, Garfield posters and pictures everywhere. In the 90’s my dorm rooms and meager little apartments were strewn with crates of books and tapestries.

 

In 2001, we bought our first house that I decorated as best as I could, with a re-upholstered (by us) denim Queen Anne sofa and hand-me down furniture. We moved to our current home in 2006, painted every room before we moved in, and decorated and bought furniture as we have been able and as our family has grown. For every new place we live, I sew custom curtains and cushions. I also paint all the walls, (sometimes even with fancy finishes).

 

I like how our home looks, for the most part, but it is time for some tweaking! We have lived in this home longer than I have EVER lived in ANY home my ENTIRE life. Seriously. I am a little stir crazy. I need to freshen things up. Re-arranging furniture is a bit normal for me (to my husband’s chagrin), but I need more than that. I need new paint! The walls are getting a bit dingy and dirty with all the little hands that pass thru here. The ‘temporary’ colors in the kitchen are driving me nuts, so it is time for a new look!

 

I don’t know why I have the pressing need to make the house look new, or different or updated, but I can’t NOT decorate. It is wired in my DNA. I was a professional set designer after all, and had lots of chances to decorate a new room (or several) with each new show. Without that creative outlet, I am feeling the pinch, the urge to create. We have been in the status quo for too long, and it’s time for a change!

 

“What is the point?” some of you may be saying. “Go paint a room or something!” I plan to, as soon as I go get the paint, but I wanted to share my enlightenment on this topic before I do.

 

We all know Christ is a designer and creator, and loves to make things look nice. I think He does a pretty great job, don’t you? Colorful leaves in the fall, sparkling snow covered mountains, beautiful beaches and ocean colors: His color palettes just can’t be beat. But did you know that He is not just a designer, but also is a decorator? (There is a difference, you know!)

 

In John 14:2, Jesus tells his followers: “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.” In Matthew 25:34, Jesus calls Heaven “The kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”

 

Before He knew me, actually, before He created the world, Jesus had prepared a place, a room, just for ME (and for everyone else, ever, in the world) in His Father’s Mansion in Heaven.

 

Somewhat hard to fathom the size of the house isn’t it! And HOW many rooms does it have? And within that gigantic house, there is a room, prepared, since the creation of the world, for me?! And I am sure this is NOT a dormitory, it is a MANSION. Decorated to the hilt, by the Creator Himself. Wow! How cool is that!

 

We can perhaps better relate to this if we think of expectant parents. While they anticipate the arrival of their child, the parents lovingly decorate a space for the child before they even know him or her.  Most parents wouldn’t think of NOT preparing a room for the child, but rather want everything to be perfect before he or she arrives. From the theme to the colors, the lights to the glider, it all has to be just so, doesn’t it?

 

My husband and I debated during my first pregnancy whether or not to prepare a nursery for our son. The son who, (we were told at 20 weeks gestation), would most likely be stillborn or die moments after his birth. I didn’t want to have a beautifully decorated, empty nursery with no baby to bring home to it, along with an empty and grieving heart. I was scared and uncertain, and wavered for months.

 

Finally, I decided to just take the chance, prepare the room, and have faith that our little one would live long enough to enjoy it. I chose stars and moons and clouds, (a little bit of heaven) and sewed away, making curtains, bumper pads and wall hangings. I rested in the fact that even if he didn’t use it, we would someday have another child who could.

 

For me, the act of lovingly preparing that special space for a person not yet here, who was not guaranteed to come, took a great leap of faith. A great big, scary, tearful, prayerful leap!

 

How awestruck we should be to think that Christ is doing that for us! Even while we are still sinners, He prepares our rooms! Before we have taken that step and accepted him, He prepares our rooms! I’m sure He is decorating our rooms in our favorite colors and themes, He knows us so well!

 

John 14:3 continues, “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. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

 

Like a loving parent, bringing their child into the nursery for the first time, Jesus himself will carry us to our Eternal home. He will show us around our room, which we will certainly love, and which will be so much more than we can ever imagine. I can’t wait to see what He has prepared just for me, can you?

 

(Visualize the reveals of Extreme Home Makeover, multiply it by 100, and maybe we will have a hint of what is to come.) ; )

 

So this week, as I begin to paint, I will be daydreaming about my Eternal home, knowing my home here may be nice, but cannot begin to compare to the home that awaits me in Heaven.

 

Shira

 

P.S. To answer the question, we were able to bring our little boy Cayden home from the hospital. He lived long enough to outgrow his nursery, and to get a big boy room complete with checkered flag and race car theme. He now lives in the room Jesus prepared for him in Heaven, and I am certain it is orange and blue and full of all things boy.