We Bring Our Own Furniture

I have been blessed to have had many encounters with God in my life. Those experiences have made what I know about God intellectually come alive in my heart.

On Friday, November 8th I had another. Today I want to share it with you.

We were holding an Immanuel Practice Day in my home. I was with two other women in my husband’s office. As we quieted I realized that I was triggered so I asked if I could receive first.

We had already prayed for protection and quieted so I focused on my positive memory, a treehouse where I have been before with Jesus. I believe this is my home in heaven. The floor plan is a large oval, the surface smooth white plaster, like the houses you see in Greece. The floor goes up to the walls. The floor curves up into walls which reach my waist, from waist high to the ceiling is open to the fresh air and green jungle trees outside. Bright colored birds and butterflies flutter in and out . . .

There is a white sofa for two that reclines and a coffee table I made of mostly red tulips, with a few gold ones as well as dark purples irises and lobelia. The flowers are living, planted in a rectangular box. They all reach the same height and, somehow, I can put a tea cup on the tops of the flowers and something invisible holds the cup up.

On this day, Jesus was making an orchid wall for me, many little shelves artfully arranged on the wall, each one holding a blooming orchid in a rectangular ceramic box. Purples, pinks, whites, a few tiny yellows and greens. I realize that he is also creatively decorating my home. I love my orchid wall and am so grateful for this gift to me.

Suddenly I am aware that the Trinity is coming in through my arched door! The room stretches back to accommodate them. I gaze in awe. They are 80 feet tall. “Don’t worry,” they say, “We brought our own furniture!”

I am overcome with awe. Each has a throne, lovely white, antiqued with real gold. The seat and back are smooth ivory skin or fabric, I am not sure which.

They sit down. Their thrones are angled towards each other, a gentle curve, yet are open to me. Then to my delight they point out that they have brought me a throne too! Mine looks just like theirs but it is my-size, maybe four feet tall. I sit and they exchange glances with each other and then simultaneously smile at me as if to say, “Isn’t she just adorable!” I feel adorable in that moment, a huge shift from my earlier triggered state. I feel their delight in me.

My prayer minister asks, “Do you want to ask them why they bring their own furniture?” I had not considered this question, but I answer, “Yes,” and turn to the Trinity. They seem so big! They know my thoughts. “We are much bigger than this,” they say, “we are this size for your sake!” Again, they glance at each other and smile. So much love goes back and forth between them. Then they look at me and smile. Again, I feel enveloped in love.

“We are complete!” they explain. “We do not need to ask you or any human to bring us food or drink or furniture on which we can appropriately sit.”

I’ve been taught this in seminary but now it seems very real. Our God is not like other Gods! The Trinity is complete! They do not need me. Yet the fact that they do not need me, nor any gift I might offer does not detract from my value.

“We made you out of the overflow of our love. We wanted to make you, but we do not need you.”

How true, my heart sings. I feel lighter, freer.

Since this encounter 11 days ago, I’ve been interacting with the Trinity every day. I see with new eyes how attentive they are to our needs, how immense their capacity—they can be fully present with each one of us without the slightest diminishment in their capacity to attend to each other or another. Their love knows no bounds. They are transcendent. All powerful, all glorious.

I often hear people talk about bringing gifts to God at Christmas time. I see now that the Trinity do not need our gifts. They are not discouraged by the world’s woes. They are not disappointed by our failures. They know our limits.

But although they do not need our gifts, we need to give them. Our gifts do not satisfy them, our gifts are given for our sake. The gifts that we give allow us to partake in the Trinity’s song of giving. To be like the very ones we worship.

This Christmas season, let us bow before Father, Son and Holy Spirit and adore him. Let us surrender our all! Nothing held back. Let all things assume their proper size at the feet of our Lord. Let us give with grateful hearts because they made us to give. They made us to delight in giving.