Prepare Him Room

Sunday we had about a 4 hour gap in time. When you have a busy life, a gap in time can be like a gift of gold or a black hole. You know what I mean? Plowing through a long to do list feeling so accomplished or completely wasting it sitting on the couch staring at your phone.

I had a choice how to spend those few hours, my list of how they could be filled would have taken that long to write.  I feel like my life is one long undone list right now.  So what thing to cross off the list Sunday?  The first Sunday of Advent. Wouldn't it be nice if I showed you my great advent wreath I created, or to share the wisdom of a beautiful devotion.  No, I spent those precious hours cleaning out our attic.  Really, that hits about #147 on my to do list, but why not randomly select something that definitely could have waited until next summer?

The motivation for this actually came from my son. We had cut down a Christmas tree the day before and didn't have time to put it up when we brought it home. (this sounds like a bad theme in my life...) Sunday we rearranged the living room to create a space for it. We ended up with too much furniture for our small space.  I decided it would be a good idea to get rid of an old love seat that we had taken from my aunt's house when she moved to a nursing home. Daniel would not have it.  He tried every which way to convince us to keep it.  Did I mention it is missing a leg and it is white...who buys white love seats? I was getting slightly exasperated and stopped the conversation.

"We are getting rid of it, we don't need it, it's broken, and doesn't match anything else in our house." I said very matter-of-factly. Then a tear slowly escaped his eye. What in the world, why was he crying over this?

"It was Dee Dee's. I remember going to her house and sitting on this and looking out the window with Maggie (her beloved cat). I don't want to get rid of it." I hugged my son as I realized this was not about a worn out couch.

We have experienced an unusual amount of loss these last few years.  And it takes its toll.

As much as I love to get rid of stuff, he won me over. I couldn't get rid of this tattered sofa. And then the light went on for him, "Let's clean the attic so I can make a hang out room or a music room and put it up there!"

So we went up and grabbed boxes of total random stuff that needed to be tossed. We filled the garbage can with trash and the back of the car with donations. The photo here includes a few of the treasures I still need to sift through!

Some treasures from my attic :)

We ended up taking off the 3 legs that were left on the love seat and carrying it up several flights of stairs.  We spread out the carpet remnant and dusted the cobwebs away.  It's pretty "rustic", the walls aren't finished and the floor under the patch of carpet is plywood.  I have to admit though, it is pretty comfortable. It is a quiet space that Daniel loves...and calls his own.

So why am I telling you this story (besides confessing I have lots of issues)? Since Sunday I can't get the phrase out of my mind:

                   Prepare Him Room

You know the Christmas Carol: Joy to the World! The Lord is come, let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare Him room and heaven and nature sing.

Just as we prepare our homes to celebrate Christmas, with Christmas trees, lights, and decorations, we also prepare our hearts for Him.

As I think back through these last few years and some difficult moments, I can easily think that I didn't "need" the pain. Just like I didn't think we needed that old sofa. But as we prepared the attic, we noticed a perfect place for my aunt's love seat, it really fits perfectly, like it was made for that space.

And as I reflect on those words, prepare Him room...I see how He has allowed some brokenness into my life.  Some things that just don't seem to belong. If I just look at my hurts, disappointments, grief as items that are worthless, then they are just occupying space in my life, treated as trash. However, if I truly want to prepare room in my heart for the Lord, I can look at these "tattered pieces" of my life with value. In His hands, He can re-purpose my pain for His glory, creating something I can value and share.

Joy to the world! The Lord has come into our lives to take the broken and make something beautiful. May we prepare Him room, room for healing and hope and peace and joy. Clearing away the shame and guilt through His forgiveness. And as He does His work in us and through us, we can sing with all creation and marvel at the wonders of His love.