Saturday mornings in our home tend to begin with the whir of vacuum cleaners, the lemony scent of Murphy’s wood soap , and the predictable chorus of “Who left this here?” from one of our kids. This week, our mission was clear: clean the house before my brother’s visit. The incentive? A mix of familial pride, the joy of welcoming someone we love, and a few mystery bribes still to be determined.

Our four kids dove into the task with surprising enthusiasm. My oldest, who inherited my love for organization and task completion, made the garage his domain. I’d casually mentioned earlier in the week that we should clean it out, and apparently that seed took root. He was unstoppable, sorting tools, sweeping corners, and directing his siblings like a foreman at a holy construction site.

Watching my children work, I felt a quiet joy. Not just because the garage was finally walkable, but because I glimpsed something deeper at work: a desire to prepare. There’s something profoundly human about that. When we love someone, we want to make ready a place for them.

That, in a nutshell, is the spiritual life.

Preparation as a Form of Love

We often think of preparation as drudgery, checking boxes before the “real thing” begins. But in the Christian life, preparation is part of the encounter. The work of getting ready disposes our souls to receive grace. It’s the difference between rushing through confession before Easter and slowly, intentionally, letting God sweep through the clutter of our hearts.

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