“Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” “Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
– Matthew 24:42,44
Most of us enjoy experiencing a sense of completion, of finishing up some tasks and being able to say, “Well, I’ve got that done.” Fall in this part of the country brings a number of chores that need to be taken care of before winter arrives. Those of us with yards and trees have raking, mulching, pruning, and end-of-summer cleanup to do. We need time to put away the mower, the trimmer, and the rakes and then make sure we know where the car snowbrush and a snow shovel are located. Parents have their children try on last year’s warm coats and sweaters, seeing who has outgrown what, and then heading for the mall to get outfitted for the coming change of weather.
This year it seemed as though we had plenty of time to accomplish those pre-winter activities, with mild and sunny days rolling along, one after another. We just needed a few more mild days to get things squared away — there wasn’t really all that much to do. Then the meteorologists started telling us that an arctic blast was heading right toward us, and suddenly there wasn’t enough time! And how right they were — the dropping temps, the wind, the blowing snow arrived just as they’d said. Now we have piles of leaves covered with snow, the trees aren’t even done dropping their leaves, and some outdoor projects will either not be done at all, or we’ll try to catch up in the spring.
We could look at our experiences this November and see them as a way of describing our lives as Christians. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is teaching his disciples, telling them to continue spreading the Word of God as they have learned it from him, leading people to a new and close relationship with God, and living their lives in harmony with these teachings. In the 24th chapter, Jesus speaks with a sense of urgency — emphasizing to his listeners that they don’t know when he will return, so they need have that same sense of urgency in sharing the Gospel with as many as possible. And there we have it — that “getting ready” thing. It’s certainly a challenge, especially when there’s no specific deadline, and no “to-do” list of items to check off. But just as we deal with the ups and downs of our everyday lives, we have a guide in Jesus’ teachings and his promise to be with us always. Now there’s a forecast we are glad to hear!
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers