Ready

 I love my wife, and her qualities abound. She’s a good wife, an excellent mother, knows her way around the kitchen, has a sense of humor that complements mine, is ever beautiful to me, and the list goes on. Since no one can be perfect but Christ, she does have one character flaw that is antithetical to my nature. Whenever we are meant to travel, especially by plane, she’s always cutting it close. By close, I mean thirty minutes before your flight, having to insist that they let you onto your plane sort of close.

She doesn’t like to wait, whether in line at a coffee shop or to board a plane. We’ve worked on this over the years, and now with the girls, she’s allowing herself more time, but the key to it, as I discovered long ago, is to have something to do while you’re waiting. Whether a book, a magazine, or listening to something in your earbuds, fill the time you know you’ll be waiting with an activity, then it won’t seem so bad.

You know your plane will likely take off on time. Most planes do. Worst case scenario is that there may be a delay, and you’ll have to wait a little longer than you had planned. Having something to do will remedy the situation either way. If, however, you’re late arriving at your gate, your plane has departed, and you’ve missed your flight.

We know that Jesus is coming. That is not up for debate. The only thing we seem to be quarreling about is when, but if you’re doing as He instructed and redeeming the time, working while it’s day, and being about the Father’s business, even the when of it isn’t that much of an issue.

My duty is to be ready for His return. Whether it’s today, next year, or a decade from now, my state of readiness must be unwavering. Yes, we can look at the fig tree and perceive the closeness of the hour, but the best we can do is ballpark the matter, and that’s no way to approach something of such paramount importance.

A few years back, while I was still traveling and preaching, I was to be on the road for a few days. Generally speaking, I knew when I was supposed to return but hadn’t worked out the schedule to pinpoint the exact day. Victoria was only three at the time, and it was the first time I’d been away multiple days. I promised her I’d return as soon as possible, and she smiled and said she’d be waiting for me.

I thought nothing of it at the time and wrote it off as just something children say, but three days later, when I got home around sunset, there she was, waiting by the door with a flower in her hand.

“How did you know I was coming home today?” I asked her curiously.

“I didn’t,” She said, smiling. “I’ve been waiting every day with a fresh flower, just in case you came back.”

Later that night, after putting her to bed, I asked my wife how it had been and what they’d been doing, and smiling, she said, “not much.” Since the day I left, other than for sleeping and eating, Victoria had spent most of her time by the front door, with a flower in hand, waiting for me to return.

We must look forward to the Lord’s return with anticipation and a deep and abiding desire to see Him face to face. That He is coming back should ever be at the forefront of our minds, and that He finds us ready is always a priority.

The bride has her dress ready long before the day of her wedding. Halls are reserved, churches are booked, preachers are scheduled, and bands are hired, all well in advance of that day because it is special and what ought to be once in a lifetime for both the bride and the groom.

When that day comes, they must be ready. It’s not as though they can put it off another week because the bride couldn’t book her preferred hairdresser or because the seamstress needs one more fitting before finalizing the dress.

Rather than spend so much time debating when the groom is arriving, our time would be better spent making sure we are ready and waiting for His return. If you don’t have your wedding garments on, if your lamp is not lit, and if you are not awake, it doesn’t matter when He returns. The result will be the same.

For some, it’s just easier arguing needlessly than getting ready because they’re still flirting with the world and like it when the world flirts back. If they’ve got a wedding dress on and are in their chamber waiting for the groom, flirting with the world would no longer be possible.

It’s all about time and how you spend it. Are you wasting the most precious commodity you’ve been given, or are you redeeming it? Are you using it to get ready and double-check to make sure you have oil in your lamp and in your vessel, or are you constantly distracted by something that takes your attention away from Him?

Once He comes and takes what is His, there will be no encore, no fly-by to see if He missed anyone or if someone showed up late to the feast. He will return when the Father wills it, and I cannot affect that. I can affect whether or not I’m ready for His return.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr.