Today, I am delighted to share a guest post from my friend Debbie Troquille. Debbie graciously agreed to contribute her article, A Prepared Place, to A Cultural Shift.
We have known Debbie and her husband, Paul, for many years. They are dear friends who have faithfully served the Lord in ministry and missions for decades.
Together, we have taught leadership academies for church leaders in Burundi, Malawi, and Liberia. Through the years, we have been encouraged by their love for God, their heart for people, and their passion for the nations.
It is a privilege to share Debbie’s writing with you today.
My husband, Paul, and I have been in full-time ministry since we married 44 years ago. In our years as youth pastors, pastors, and now missionaries for 24 years, preparation has been a huge part of our lives.
My parents had been married 20 years when they found out they had a fourth child on the way. They were wonderful Christian people, and I can only imagine the surprise the news was to them, especially on the very day my oldest sister was getting married! My brother was 12 and my other sister was 16 when I came along. I was not planned, but I was never unwanted. They prepared for my arrival, and I had a welcomed entrance into the world.
When my own children came along, Paul and I prepared with excitement and anticipation for each new arrival. Each of our three children had beautiful spaces waiting for them in our home, with the proper clothes, diapers, and all the other necessities little ones require.
Preparation is such a God-given attribute. Taking time to make things ready shows that we care about what is coming, whether it’s a wedding, a baby, a new job, a visit from family or friends, or perhaps saving for something we desire to purchase.
I am a retired elementary school teacher. I taught little ones for 20 years, and with each new year, I prepared my classroom for the students who would be with me that year. My classroom was clean and welcoming, and each child had his or her name on a desk so that when they walked into the room, there was no doubt they were in the right place and with the right teacher. It was their home away from home for months. I wanted it to be a comfortable and safe place for them.
In John 14, Jesus told His disciples that He was going away, but He did not want their hearts troubled over His leaving. He made a promise to go and prepare a place for them so that one day they could come to Him when the time was right. His promise extends to us today.
He has prepared a place for us in heaven, and one day those who have made Him Lord of their lives will go to be with Him in that special, prepared place. But between now and then, there are prepared places for each of us. He has special things planned for every person.
His prepared places are discovered as we walk by faith and fellowship with Him. It is an exciting life to live in our personal prepared places, designed by God. They are just a taste of what awaits us. Our futures are bright!
For now, I will be like my Father and prepare for each day, each event, and each person He brings into my life. And I will trust in His promise that one day I will see my prepared place in heaven.
About the Author of A Prepared Place
Debbie Troquille is a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother who has faithfully served alongside her husband, Paul, in full-time ministry for 44 years. Their journey began in youth ministry and led to 20 years as pastors, followed by 24 years as missionaries.
Together, Debbie and Paul have raised three children and are blessed with eight grandchildren. When not traveling to minister in nations around the world, Debbie serves in their local church in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Above all, her greatest passion is serving the Lord Jesus and sharing His love with everyone she encounters.
To learn more about Paul and Debbie, their ministry, and the work they do around the world, visit their website here.
You can receive new articles like this by joining the newsletter. I send occasional updates and new writing directly to subscribers.
If this post encouraged you, you’re welcome to partner with me on A Cultural Shift through Buy Me a Coffee. Your support helps keep A Cultural Shift’s outreach going. Thank you so much.
Related reading: For more like this, you may enjoy:
Live Ready and Wash the Dishes
Three Years and Then They Locked the Doors
