Love Prepares a Place

From the thin set of her lips, you might think she was very stern. But, she also had a playful side. Mary Cordelia Watson-Jackson was my mother's paternal grandmother, and very dear to her. As a girl, she lived with her family just a couple miles from the Jackson farm, which is in a little place called Borie, near Coudersport, PA. At the time, the farm was in its second generation, having been settled by Joshua Jackson. It was now being run by his son, Merrick. Merrick had a son named Orlando, who was fond of Mary. I don't know the details of their courtship, but Orlando eventually proposed marriage. Orlando did not have a home of his own, and Mary was unwilling to live with his parents, so she refused his proposal. She told my mother that she went home, threw herself on the bed, and cried. I'm not sure when Orlando began building the house, or how long it took, but Great-Grandma told my mom that for the next three years, she and Orlando simply tipped their hats to each other and that was it. Eventually, the house was finished, and Orlando and Mary were married. Sometime later, a post office and general store were added on to the building. Mary and Orlando lived in that house for the rest of their lives, while their son, Merrick Victor, inherited the larger farmhouse from his grandparents. The store was eventually moved to the backyard of my grandparents' house, and was used to house the hunters who would come each year during deer season. However, it was always called the "store". This story always reminded me of the words Jesus said in John 14:1-3, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 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? 3 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." Jesus loves us so much that he left the glory of Heaven to come and live on this earth and die for our sins so that we may spend an eternity with Him. The house that Orlando built for Mary was small, but adequate. It has been lived in first by my uncle Daryl and aunt Judy and their family, then was moved up the road, added onto, and is currently the home of my uncle Buck and aunt From the thin set of her lips, you might think she was very stern. But, she also had a playful side. Mary Cordelia Watson-Jackson was my mother's paternal grandmother, and very dear to her. As a girl, she lived with her family just a couple miles from the Jackson farm, which is in a little place called Borie, near Coudersport, PA. At the time, the farm was in its second generation, having been settled by Joshua Jackson. It was now being run by his son, Merrick. Merrick had a son named Orlando, who was fond of Mary. I don't know the details of their courtship, but Orlando eventually proposed marriage. Orlando did not have a home of his own, and Mary was unwilling to live with his parents, so she refused his proposal. She told my mother that she went home, threw herself on the bed, and cried. I'm not sure when Orlando began building the house, or how long it took, but Great-Grandma told my mom that for the next three years, she and Orlando simply tipped their hats to each other and that was it. Eventually, the house was finished, and Orlando and Mary were married. Sometime later, a post office and general store were added on to the building. Mary and Orlando lived in that house for the rest of their lives, while their son, Merrick Victor, inherited the larger farmhouse from his grandparents. The store was eventually moved to the backyard of my grandparents' house, and was used to house the hunters who would come each year during deer season. However, it was always called the "store". This story always reminded me of the words Jesus said in John 14:1-3, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 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? 3 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." Jesus loves us so much that he left the glory of Heaven to come and live on this earth and die for our sins so that we may spend an eternity with Him. The house that Orlando built for Mary was small, but adequate. It has since been moved up the road, renovated, and is currently the home of my uncle and aunt. However, our earthly homes cannot compare to the place that Jesus is lovingly preparing for us.