“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. 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
Jim has always loved the fun song by Audio Adrenaline “Big House”. Now, our children love it, too. (Turn up your volume if you’d like to hear it yourself….brace yourself for a little rock and roll.)
I realized recently how God has graciously given us a wonderful fulfillment of part of the lyrics of the song:
“A big, big yard where we can play football…it’s my Father’s house”.
In 1998, the Lord led Jim and me to our home. We had spent a year looking for a single home, after living in a cute condominium for the first six years of our marriage. As soon as we walked into this house, we both loved it. The sellers were lovely people with two young sons. We had not had any children yet, but the Lord graciously gave us a home that would bless our children, too…even though we didn’t fully comprehend that blessing at the time we purchased our home.
The first time we were looking through the home with our realtor, the sellers’ young boys came in from the back yard with golf clubs. They told us how they’d been in the back field hitting golf balls. As we walked outside onto the back deck, we looked at a huge open field just beyond the back yard. They explained to us that the field is “common area”in the development that is owned and maintained (whoooeeee!) by “the association”. They further told us of the many neighborhood ball games that spontaneously spring up on that field and all of the fun the children have playing there.
“…He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.”
Acts 17:26
Many details showed us God’s leading in our purchase of this home, including a whopping provision by God. You see, our highest financial offer for the home as buyers was many, many thousands of dollars less than their lowest price to sell. Even our realtor, who was a Christian, told us we’d never get the house with our offer. “But God…” God led us perfectly with His miraculous provision for this: The seller’s employer (a large pharmaceutical company) paid him the difference (the many thousands of dollars between our offer and their lowest acceptable price) directly so they could relocate their family to another city and state quickly. This was totally a work of the Lord, and we give Him all the glory.
We know the Lord has given us our home. Our promise to the Lord is to use our home for His purposes. (I’ll be doing a post later this week about this.) To others, our humble home may be nothing special, perhaps too small, perhaps needing updated interior decorating or fancy lighting and faucets (all contractor standards). However, to us, it is “the exact place where they should live” on this earth, and we are so thankful. While no match for the mansion He is preparing for us in heaven, we love the home He has given us here and want to honor Him with it.
Now, almost 11 years after first purchasing our home, we have two young children who play continually with each other and their friends in our “big, big yard”….actually the big, big field beyond our sweet backyard.
And our son LOVES playing football in the big, big yard of his daddy’s house. Little did we know years ago as we began singing along to Audio Adrenaline’s song that one day God would so graciously bless us with a “big, big yard where we can play football”. Perhaps this big, big yard is indeed a little preview of our heavenly home. Come and go with us to our Father’s house.
May we always honor Him with our home…and our “big, big yard” that beckons children to come and play. As unto the Lord.
As Joshua’s birthday football cake (from 2 years ago) says:
“We make it our goal to please Him.” (2 Cor. 5:9)
Lyrics to “Big House” by Audio Adrenaline
I don’t know where you lay your head or where you call your home
I don’t know where you eat your meals or where you talk on the phone
I don’t know if you got a cook a butler or a maid
I don’t know if you got a yard with a hammock in the shade
I don’t know if you got some shelter say a place to hide
I don’t know if you live with friends in whom you can confide
I don’t know if you got a family say a mom or dad
I don’t know if you feel love at all but I bet you wish you had
Come and go with me to my Father’s house
Come and go with me to my Father’s house
It’s a big big house with lots and lots a room
A big big table with lots and lots of food
A big big yard where we can play football
A big big house
Its my Father’s house
Ibidibidee bop bop bow whew! yeah!
All I know is a big ole house with rooms for everyone
All I know is lots a land where we can play and run
All I know is you need love and I’ve got a family
All I know is you’re all alone so why not come with me?
My pastor referenced this song a few weeks back, I’d never heard it.
I loved the cake! You most was really nice and I can’t wait to hear more about your home, provided by God. Excellent!
So funny…Cheryl Stum and I were just joking about this song and our mansions in Heaven.
We heart your big big house and absolutely know that you DO use your home to do His perfect will. It is a safe haven and now, that I have heard a little more of the story, I love it even more:)
What a beautiful testimony to your faith and obedience that the house became yours regardless of earthly discouragement.
Just great, thank you so much for posting about this!
Love you!
Heather
Oh I love this story too!
Our home as you know was all God’s doing too.
I love how He provides the perfect home for our families – knowing all of our needs!
Praising Him for the blessing of your big, big yard and how it is used for His glory!
Love and blessing – give your children hugs from all of us.
Jill
PS Our children love to pray for your family and can’t wait for you to meet Gabriel.
Now I’m going to be singing that song all night! I do love it, though.
A big backyard to play football…it seems like you have that and more. I just heart the big field behind your house! What precious pictures and what wonderful memories your children are making.
I saw you yesterday at the conference at CC, but I didn’t catch your eye. It was a great day, and the speakers were terrific.
Blessings from my house to yours,
Kelli