Surprise!!!
You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. Luke 12:40
Surprising others is lots of fun! It is amusing to catch the look on someone’s face when you have truly pulled off a big surprise. But somehow it does not seem as easy to do as it used to be. Giving the shock is great but being on the receiving side is …well, not quite as enjoyable.
One of these days, we are all going to have a huge surprise! Yes, Jesus is coming back and we need to be ready! There are so many things that I don’t want Him to catch me doing. Please Jesus, don’t come back when I am eating Lindt hazelnut chocolate before bed, talking to my plants, thinking impatient (ugly) thoughts at the Giant, or being a people-watcher at the outlets.
We all have our lists of things that we do not want Jesus to see but guess what—He already sees us and He knows what we do. That is unsettling. Where will He literally find us and what will we be doing? I think about these kinds of things and strive not to embarrass myself or let Him down. Sometimes I am successful and then there are other times when…well, you know!
How much time do we spend reading books, playing games on our cell phones, texting or browsing through Facebook and/or watching TV? And what are we reading or watching? Be honest; how much time is spent reading God’s Word? I am almost certain that the numbers are shorter on the God side.
No one will ever be perfect! We will all fall short but something tells me that we could do better. Being kind, showing patience, saying gentle words, helping a neighbor, preparing a meal for a family with a newborn, buying groceries for a disabled elderly person, offering a hug, smile or prayer could get Jesus’ attention when He returns.
Will we be worthy? Nope, never! But His grace is sufficient to cover all our goofs. His love covers up all the blemishes, warts and wrinkles. Aren’t you grateful that He sees us differently than we do? I surely am!
Loving Father, help me to be ready for the big surprise when Jesus returns. Please give me more of a desire to spend time with You and less time in the world. AMEN