It's All In The Preparation!

Early morning crew. We work well as a team!

New Year's for my husband's family has always been something of a big deal. In fact I spent years at his mother's table trying to learn how to prepare traditional Japanese dishes. I knew that someday this tradition would have to be handed down to the next generation or it would be lost. I can remember waking up early in the morning on New Year's day and making my trek to her home. There would be times when we would start as early as five in the morning. Ok that is what time I started. You see I didn't realize until last year that she probably started much earlier than this.
The time has come when it is now my honor to try and put together this meal that honors her memory and keeps this day a special one in my family. This year I started the process on Wednesday with the usual pouring over recipes and grocery shopping. I cooked and cleaned and cooked and cleaned for the 3 days before hand with the help of many of my family. Friday we rolled sushi, cleaned shrimp, and stuffed Agi. Friday night came with a sigh of relief that once again we were almost done with all the preparations. In the morning there would just be a few last minute things that needed to be completed.

Pealing shrimp can be fun when done with those you love.

As my eyes fluttered open New Year's morning I immediately started making a list of the last minute things that needed to be done and who I would assign them to. In our family we operated on the old saying, "Many hands make light work." My sister and her girls had stayed the night so I knew we had more than enough help. As one person vacuumed another made beds. Some put food on serving platters and others prepared the drink station. I stood in the kitchen at the sink loving the commotion of getting ready for our guests. As I was thanking the Lord for His many, many blessing I started dwelling on the fact that this one day took a tremendous amount of work. This led me to ask the question of "why?" Why was I working so hard? Why did I care if the floor was vacuumed? Why did I need to make sure I had enough food to not only serve my guests but probably most of their relatives? Was it pride? Was it that I needed to look good in the eyes of others? Was it because I wanted in some way to earn their kudos? As I washed my last dish before everyone arrived John 14:2-3 popped into my head. It says, "In my Father's house there are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And 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" (emphasis are mine). Then it dawned on me...the reason I work so hard, the reason everything has to be top notch is not because of how it reflects on me. The reason why I want things to be prepared in the best way possible is because I want my guests to know how important they are to me. They are so valuable and so loved that I have prepared for their arrival. I have not just thrown things together in hopes that it would be enough, but I have actually prepared for them.
Oh dear ones....Christ has prepared for you. He has planned for you. He is waiting with a great amount of expectancy for you. So much so that it is clear that He did not leave the preparations to anybody else. He wants you to know that if He takes the time to prepare He will be back to claim what is His. You!
Like a parent expecting a child...the colors have been picked. The room has everything that will be needed. Every detail has been planned and put into place. Nothing is left undone. Nothing out of order. And He waits patiently for the arrival of something so valuable. Something so precious...so loved.
Please don't misunderstand me. Jesus, if you have accepted Him as Lord, lives with you right now. He lives within you as the Holy Spirit.  What He is waiting for is for you to go and live with Him. What a glorious day that will be! All the preparation He has done will be enjoyed by both Him and I.


Blessed to be His!