If you have visited Natchez, Mississippi, then you may have seen Longwood, an antebellum mansion and the largest octagonal home ever built. Designed to be an opulent home with the most up-to-date features of its time for a wealthy landowner, it has the distinction of remaining unfinished due to the start of the American Civil War in 1861 and the owner’s death a year before the war ended in 1865.
Today tours of this registered historic home allow visitors a unique opportunity to see a home under construction that was left at a standstill. Even workers’ tools were left where they were last used and never moved. From the outside Longwood appears to be a beautifully designed home, but its empty shell inside reveals a sad reality of unfilfilled purpose.
It’s interesting to me that generations of the Nutt family lived in the 9 basement rooms rather than the originally planned 32 rooms that remain incomplete. Although Longwood was frozen in time, life continued for the inhabitants. They adapted to their circumstances and lived their lives.
Perhaps the family managed to live in nice accomodations under the circumstances, but those circumstances were far below those of the initial plan. A finished work was beyond their control, so they missed out on reaping the full benefits of an inheritance meant for them.
The Longwood story reminds me of our living on earth trying to make the most of life in the basement when our intended home is above. If we are in God’s family, then we have a heavenly home with features that are absolutely perfect compared to those of living below.
My hope is in Christ Jesus Who completed the work at Calvary that makes it possible for me to someday move up to a place He prepared for me. Salvation is not our work but His; based on our work it is impossible.
Longwood is no comparison to heaven, but it is a reminder of that which awaits Christian believers. Heaven is a perfect home for God’s family. Thankfully our salvation is a finished work that no war or spiritual battles could halt. Our future home will be beyond our greatest expectations and something we don’t want to miss.
When we trust Jesus our hope is in the One and Only One Who could fulfill God’s plan. It won’t be necessary to live below thanks to the Master Builder Whose blueprint for our lives includes an eternity with Him.
“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14: 2,3)
“Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” (John 19:30)
” For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8: 38, 39)
“That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10: 9, 10)