In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. – John 14:2
Two of my sisters and I moved from Portland, Oregon, to Los Angeles, California, in 1957. We were in our twenties, and although we were able to get jobs when we arrived there, we still did not have much money to spend.
Our first apartment was not exactly a “luxury” apartment. It was a one-room, third-floor walkup with a pint-sized kitchen, and was located in South Central L.A. We had no telephone, so if we needed to place or receive a call it had to be done on the telephone in the front hall where we entered the building.
Sleeping arrangements were also somewhat unique. There were three of us and only one double bed. There was also a short lumpy couch (the apartment was “furnished”). It seemed only fair to take turns, two sleeping in the “good” bed, which pulled out from a buffet-like structure (a Murphy bed), and one on the couch. Added to the drawbacks was the fact that one sister liked to sleep really late on Saturdays. If someone came to visit, we had to route her out of bed so we could let the guests into our room. We were thankful for a place to live, but we were even more thankful when we moved to a better apartment. After a few months, to our delight, we were able to relocate to place with an actual bedroom and kitchen.
Sometimes our accommodations here on earth are not fancy, or even what we might think of as adequate. We can become discouraged by leaky pipes, ant infestations, cramped space, and a variety of other inconveniences, but it is heartening to remember that whatever we have here is just temporary. Jesus is preparing such a wonderful place for us in Heaven that we cannot even imagine what it will be like—and that will be our permanent home! Regardless of our current living arrangements, it is always a joy to consider where we will spend eternity.
As we are faithful and keep our eyes on Jesus, we can anticipate a beautiful mansion when we see Him someday in Heaven!