Be Prepared

 Good morning.  It’s a very pleasant, cooler day today in the Wichita area.  Hopefully, this will be the beginning of the ushering in of autumn on the Great Plains.

 A minister friend of mine posted on social media this morning this thought:  “Let this be a lesson; always be prepared.”  Sounding a lot like the Boy Scout motto, “Be Prepared,” and remembering back to times when my Dad would say to me after some particularly difficult situation, “Let that be a lesson to you,” I was curious to read the rest of the post.

 It seems that Jake (not his real name) went to the office in a rather unkempt fashion, having not shaved, wearing not-so-clean clothes, and so on, expecting to spend his day hunkered down in his office with his sermon and waiting for the UPS man to deliver a package.  That was not to be, however, because when he arrived at the office, there was a voicemail from a hospice chaplain asking him to minister to a couple where the wife was terminal and not expected to live more than a few days.

 Jake said that fortunately, there were some clean slacks in the office, and he had some hygiene items there as well.  And, he said, the Dollar store sells razors.  My presumption is that he got himself presentable and visited the couple in need.

 As a minister, one’s day is much like the days of many others.  The best-laid plans sometimes just don’t happen because of a phone call, text, or email that suddenly causes a seismic shift in the priorities of the day.  It is impossible to predict all of the possibilities; so the best thing is to just be as prepared as one can be going into and through the day.

 I have a comb, a toothbrush, and a razor in my mobile office…my pickup.  There are other hygiene items at the church.  And, as Jake said, the Dollar store is not far away.  I also try to keep at least a minimal level of fuel in my gas tank so I don’t have to suddenly worry about getting gas when I need to be somewhere unexpected.  I try to dress appropriately, even if my plans are only for office work.  I still carry a little cash with me as well as the usual panoply of credit and debit cards.  And I try to keep my old pickup in such a condition that I could, if necessary, hit the turnpike for a several-hour trip.

 Even with all that, there are times when the level of preparedness is not adequate.  Both Plan A and Plan B are non-starters.  It’s those times when plan C needs to go into effect, whatever that plan may be at the time.

 You may by this time be wondering why I spent so much time with this topic.  And for those of you who know your Bible, you know that this topic is addressed…more than once.  But it is addressed in terms of spiritual readiness…not in terms of having a spare comb or razor handy.

 Mark 13:  “Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.”

 I Corinthians 16:  “Remain alert. Keep standing firm in your faith. Keep on being courageous and strong.”

 Colossians 4:  “Continue to pray regularly; stay alert and be thankful.”

 There are other places, of course, which speak of being ready, alert, and watchful.  And, of course, they are speaking of spiritual readiness.  One does not know the hour of one’s passing into eternity.  It could be today.  It could be ten years from now.  It could be any other time.

 The point of the matter is, are you ready to meet the One who created you?  Are you prepared to give answer for the life you’ve lived?  I’m not trying to frighten you…rather, I’m pointing out a reality that transcends what we see and know in this life and this existence.  You may or may not agree with me that there is a life beyond this one.  You may or may not believe that there is a God who is over and above all that there is.  There’s no way to offer scientific proof for either points of view.

 But what if there IS an afterlife?  What if there IS a God who created you and will one day ask you to account for the life He gave you?

 I leave it to you.  Are you prepared?  Are you alert?  Are you ready?  Do you have the spiritual equivalent to a spare comb, toothbrush, and razor handy?  May God bless and encourage you as you continue down life’s pathway toward eternity.

 Blessings,