You can prepare a room, prepare baby clothes, and try to prepare yourself, but nothing can prepare you for the wild “nesting” phenomenon that rises in you. I got hit bad, worse than most women I spoke to. And just to be clear, I was never a housekeeping guru–simple tidy, not spotless, was my m.o.– but almost overnight I had an itch to scrub and organize everything. And not just the “baby room,” the whole house.
Beauty and Perfection became the new standard and I was on a mission, without realizing, to make the best “nest” possible.
Cleaning isles I rarely visited (aversion to chemicals/synthetic fragrances), suddenly gave me a fix, and don’t ask my husband how many times he found me sniffing tea tree oil in our bathroom.
But strangest of all, the things I previously tolerated–paint chips, water droplets around the sink, grey closet in a room of white furniture– suddenly needed attention.
The whole thing was so extreme, almost out-of-body, that I wondered if Heaven was trying to communicate something. I was even scrubbing and sorting between contractions with my third child!
Jesus once said:
“I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you, I’ll come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, you may be also”
(John 14: 2,3)
If we’re thinking about Heaven on Earth, it may seem the prep is taking forever. But if we consider the “place” may be our Hearts, we’ll concede that “baby room” may never be ready.
Parents want everything perfect for baby, and Heaven too is supposed to be the ultimate Safe Place. Because were all in this together, there can be no room in our hearts for anger, dishonesty, bitterness, self-gratification at the expense of others, hate, fear..etc. If God is Love, then Absolute Love is our destiny/destination.
And just like things I tolerated in my home suddenly needed drastic correction, God too will eventually eradicate hate and all her spin offs.
But don’t worry. The baby in the womb wasn’t responsible for cleaning house. She only needed to be, receive and grow– all the while learning the rhythm, sounds, and scent of Mom, so that when they finally meet she Knows she’s in the right place.
Don’t lose hope, especially as we see the world reeling from hate. Love is the strongest force in the Universe and will ultimately Prevail (1 Corinthians 13).
I pulled out all the stops for my little ones–God will do the same. And everything will be Just Right.
“Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:2-4)
“The Lord will perfect that which concerns me—your love oh Lord endures forever” (Psalm 138:8)
This is the last day of the #WildKidsWildGod – 31 Days Looking into God’s Heart series.
It’s been a journey on insights from parenting that glimpse God’s Heart for His Wild Kids. Find all related posts here.
Image Credit: DIY Natural Home Cleaning: Ananasa- Home for Handmade
http://www.ananasa.com/blog/diy-natural-homemade-cleaning-products-healthy-living-recipe/
Jasmine,
Wow! Good job sticking with doing all 31 posts.
You have written a very diverse and thought-provoking series.
The “nesting” phenomenon is pretty much universal I think, so it makes sense that God would use it to reveal more of Himself in it.
Good post as always.
Got any ideas on what you will write about next?
Cheers,
Leah