She Did Not Know
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come… You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect. Matthew 24:42-44
Last Wednesday was our three-year anniversary so we went out for breakfast because we had choir practice at 5:30pm. We had a delightful day! The practice was amazing and almost everyone was present. On the way home we discussed how the voices blended and the diction has improved. And then, this doe bounded across the road.
CRASH! There she was. She flew through the air and skidded on the road. She got up and tried to run—got her footing, and made it up the bank. We were not hurt just a bit shaken up. The end to a lovely day.
How quickly life can change! The scene has replayed several times in my mind. Most likely she has a broken leg and definitely road burn and bruises, but she had sheer determination to get up and run to safety. That experience made me think about our own readiness. She was not ready for that encounter; she was just getting a drink of water! But that made me think about our own preparations.
How do we handle new and unexpected circumstances? Be that doe for just a moment. The impact was painful and devastating. Yet she got up and ran off the road. What are our reactions when a catastrophe enters our lives?
There will come a day when one of two things will happen. Either Jesus will return or we will go home to be with Him. Are we ready? Every day plays host to those two possibilities. We are to be all set, prayed up, and prepared for whatever takes place during each day. But are we?
What can we do to prepare in this day and age when the minutes fly by? We are always rushing to get to the next thing and life feels like we are on a six-lane super highway at rush hour. Pull over! Stop. Take a sacred pause. Look around and make priority choices.
Nature can teach us so many things about this fragile thing called life. However, we must pay attention to the lessons and embrace the take-aways. The bottom line is this: Be ready!
Loving Lord, thank You for all the lessons that You are teaching us. Help us to be ready for all life’s situations, without panic and complaints. AMEN.