It’s like getting picked up for a date.
When I wake up in the morning, it’s as if I’m answering the door to my date, who is on time, all excited, looks nice, flowers in hand, and ready to leave. Or at least begin spending time together.
When I choose to not immediately engage with Abba at the beginning of my day, it’s as if I open the door for my date so he can see in, but I don’t provide an entrance invitation. Instead, I immediately rush into an animated conversation with a roommate.
The house is my life.
While He has a key and residence, He is still a gentleman. He still knocks every morning and seeks to be invited. How interesting because I wouldn’t even have a house without Him.
He pays the rent of my house in a currency called time.
I couldn’t continue to life here without His generosity. I only get as many days on Earth, in this house, as He gives me. He’s my landlord, but He makes no demands. I could live in this house how I choose, but inviting Him in makes the experience better. The interior is cleaner, purer, with Him in it. It’s better furnished, comfortable, even peaceful when He’s allowed in. He brings peace. I can shut Him out, and He will still continue to pay my time rent and take care of the landscaping, but I have to take out the trash myself. Let me tell you, it’s an impossible task because it piles up faster than I can keep up. I’ve heard Him call the trash “sin” before, whatever that means.
With Him as my landlord, the trash never piles up.
He’s a curious landlord because He actually desires to live with me. His name is on the mailbox. He has His own bedroom, but the best times are when I let Him share my bedroom. When He and I share the room, when it’s ours, not mine, life is better. The house oozes with love. I never feel more loved or understood than when He is my lover. He just gets me and knows what I both need and desire before I do. It’s more beautiful than words can say.
Oh, this landlord has many talents. He’s an excellent cook. The fridge is never empty, and I never get hungry or thirsty because my needs are always met.
He has a particular affinity for bread and wine. It’s always out on the dining room table.
No only does the trash become unmanageable with Him gone, but I also seem to get personally dirty quite often. He installed a magnificent bathtub with every scent of soap imaginable. Whenever I need a bath, He always clothes me in a white, fluffy bathrobe. In fact, He insists I always wear white in the house. While that may seem controlling, it’s not.
I could wear any color, but He thinks, and I agree, that I look my most stunning and best in white. It’s clean and pure.
He regularly helps give me the selling points of the house because I can sometimes get discouraged by it. When I first started letting Him in, it was all boarded up. Dark.
The more He’s come to help, the lighter it’s gotten.
He’s cleared the windows and even installed newer and bigger ones. I love the natural light and the views are spectacular.
I don’t even mind that people can see inside now because with Him taking out the trash, I don’t have anything to hide anymore.
I’d let most of the lightbulbs burn out because I couldn’t stand to see all of the trash piled up. The smell was unavoidable. He’s, of course, added countless lights, including twinkle lights and candles because He knows how much I love them.
One of my favorite parts of Him being free to come in now are the flowers. Remember how I mentioned at the beginning that He was like a date, standing at the door, waiting to pick me up? He always come with flowers in His hand. In fact, there are fresh flowers everywhere in the house. Most of them are daisies and sunflowers, my favorites. Occasionally, He’ll bring a single rose or a bouquet of roses when we need to have some especially intimate conversation or time. Either way, the flowers are wonderful. They bring such joy.
He will also bring books. He built bookshelves shortly after I let Him in for the first time. He’s been filling them ever since, and that’s impressive because they run from floor to ceiling. I’ve opened some of them, and they’re all about how I can help take care of the house. It’s a relief to be able to help. His kindness makes me want to help maintain this house of mine.
The interior walls have changed too. Not only had I boarded up the windows, but I also erected a number of walls during my stay as a hermit. It just seemed easier to contain the mess, but really, it just made the house more difficult to navigate. He didn’t waste time in knocking many of them down. What’s more, even as He knocked them down, there were still moments when I put up more. It took a long time for me to completely trust Him and we still have issues sometimes.
He was so patient during that part of the remodeling.
This landlord of mine…such an enigma. He can be so powerful and strong. My jaw dropped as He knocked down my walls with His bare hands. Scary, yet awe-inspiring. It reminded me how He has the ability to knock down the entire house, but doesn’t. How can this same man also show such compassion and gentleness by tucking a stray hair behind my ear during our quiet times together in the mornings?
I have absolutely no idea how I came to have the house and am only just now learning to understand why I even have it. He is slowly teaching me how He wants me to use it. Most of those reasons are in the books He leaves on the shelves. There are so many to read I suspect it will take me as long as the house stands to be able to read them all and fully understand. It makes me excited.
He’s just so good. It’s overwhelming. All of these things He does for nothing in return apart from allowing Him in and desiring my time. It’s changed me and how I spend time in the house. I’ve even taken to working on the yard. He’s helped me plant flowers. The fresh air and sunshine are so refreshing.
I love how the house no longer feels like a prison, but rather a place to invite people.
Here’s something else I’ve noticed. Yes, He takes out the trash, but there’s less of it. I’m able to control myself better. He calls it self control and says it’s beautiful. It amazes me that He doesn’t make demands, but because of how well He cares for the house, it makes me want to keep it nice as well.
Less trash. Less sin.
This house. I learn new things about it each day. Some seasons of renovation overwhelm me and make me feel like the roof is going to cave in, but it never does. He always insists it will be worth it. He’s right. When the dust clears enough to see the finished product, it always seems more incredible than before.
As I’ve been able to venture out into the yard, I’ve seen the dwelling with new perspective. The first time I saw the exterior, I collapsed on the ground in shock.
This place I’d supposed was a shack is actually a spectacular palace!!!
I’d become so consumed with hiding myself away and building walls I’d forgotten about entire wings of the house that were for my use. I’d blocked many off entirely because it was easier. One wing actually had a name over it: EMOTIONS. I saw it after a particularly difficult renovation. I still do not always enjoy going up there because each trip brings about tears, but I’m learning to love that wing of the castle. It’s raw, simply furnished, and smells pleasantly of wood.
The room I’d shut myself in? I thought the ceilings were low. No space to move. It was actually the room He found me in and the first thing He did was light candles. With each new flame, I realized how big the room actually was. In fact, it was a ballroom. The first day He came in I also learned that while I’d thought I was completely alone, there was someone in the house with me.
I never saw his face, but he helped create the darkness. My landlord was furious, and this darkness man fled with the first sign of light.
I’ve seen so much with the light. I’ve seen and helped decorate our bedroom which is off the ballroom. I’ve seen the dungeons and left some demons down there. I’ve seen a foyer unfold and magnificent French doors materialize.
We’re still working, but I’m helping now. My favorite times are in the bedroom. We get to stop working and simply enjoy each other there.
As I’ve gained freedom, I’ve left the castle and yard a few times. Though I’ve come back bloodied and bruised, each time it’s my turn to knock, He always welcomes me back.
Which brings us back to the beginning. He demonstrates such faithfulness every day. I can count on Him to be knocking at the door at the start of each day, ready for a date. I look forward to it, and I have a confession. A scandal, perhaps. I’m in love with my landlord.
