“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that 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)

As an adult, I’ve had two dogs, and both have been rescues. They were dogs no one wanted initially, and then in both cases, the people who took them in couldn’t keep them. That’s how I ended up with Lilly and then, thirteen years later, Charlie.

After Lilly died, I considered going to a shelter to get a dog. I perused shelter websites looking for the perfect dog. Most of the dogs were big, and I wanted a small one. I stopped looking because it was too heartbreaking.

Then Charlie came along, and he was the perfect fit. He’s high energy—too high energy for some people, which is why he came to live with me when his first owner decided he wanted a calmer dog. I had thought that Lilly had a lot of energy, but she was almost reserved compared to Charlie. The things that kept her occupied didn’t work on him. He loves to chew and has sharp teeth. I engaged him in training and found natural chews that he could tear into—and not bite my fingers or my furniture.

When Lilly and, later, Charlie came to live with me, they didn’t know it, but their status changed. They weren’t staying with me temporarily while waiting to see what happened next. They were mine. According to Paul in Ephesians 2:19, “You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.” They became members of my household, just as we are members of God’s household.

God doesn’t stop there. Through Christ, he makes us his children. Romans 8:15 says, “The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’”

Our forever home isn’t ultimately about a place. It’s about belonging—belonging to God. He gives us a family now and a home with him forever.

Lilly and Charlie both found their forever home with me. And the good news is that God has a forever home waiting for us. In Christ, we aren’t temporary residents hoping someone will eventually make room for us. We belong to God’s family now, and Jesus has promised that he is preparing a place for us, and one day we will be home with him forever (John 14:1–3).

Dear Lord, thank you for the assurance that we belong to you and that you have a place prepared for us in eternity. Amen.